Lesser Regret

A Braver Way To Choose

When someone says they’re “spoilt for choice,” it often sounds like a luxury a good thing. But that isn’t always the case. Sometimes, choices can feel like a burden, a nemesis. Especially when the options are close, the stakes are high, and your heart pulls you in different directions. You want to make the best decision possible you weigh facts, analyse pros and cons, scan every angle. Yet, there’s still that unsettling thought…

What if I chose wrong?

What if the better choice was the other one?

That haunting possibility that you were just one step away from something better can follow you quietly, sometimes for years. It’s why some decisions never truly rest, but keep replaying in the background, whispering, “What if?”

A wise friend explained it to me like this:

When everything seems jumbled the choices, the crossroads, even the destination imagine you’re a pilot descending. Lower and lower, through thick clouds and near-blind skies. You can’t see the runway. You don’t know exactly where you’ll land. But you are headed somewhere. And that’s the only comfort. You're flying based on faith, direction, instinct. Then, when the strip appears, land. Park the plane. Begin the next leg of your journey. You chose. You landed. You moved forward.

So if regret ever surfaces, let it not be because the destination was wrong. Let it be only because you didn’t fight hard enough to make that destination work for you.

Regret the lack of grit, not the choice itself.

Don’t dig for excuses.

Make it happen.

After all, life will always be full of choices. And as humans, we’re wired for dissatisfaction always chasing more, always racing someone. In this chaos, we do everything to feel safe and secure financially, socially, professionally. But we forget: our mind and soul need safety too. They need peace. And sometimes peace isn’t in getting the “best” option it’s in choosing the one you can live with. The one that gives you lesser regret in the long run. So pick your preferences and land your flight.

For me, when faced with tough choices, I always ask myself:

"Which option would I regret less if things went wrong?"

This question grounds me. It gives me strength and surprisingly, peace. Because once I’ve chosen the path of lesser regret, I know I’m already walking the best road available to me. Even if challenges arise, I suffer less than I would have on the other paths. That thought itself makes me braver ready to hold the bull by the horns.

So if you're stuck between options, don’t chase perfection. Instead, find the one you’ll regret less.

Then commit to it.

And work like hell to make it successful.