Leaving the City of Regret

Excerpted from Perfect Love by Joyce Meyer

I had not really planned on taking a trip this time of the year, and yet I found myself packing hurriedly. This trip was going to be unpleasant and I knew in advance that no good would come of it. I’m talking about my annual "Guilt Trip". I got tickets to fly there on Wish I Had Airlines. It was an extremely short flight. I got my baggage which I couldn’t check, I chose to carry it myself all the way. It was weighted down with a thousand memories of what might have been. No one greeted me as I entered the terminal to the Regret City International Airport. I say international because people from all over the world come to this dismal town.

As I checked into the Last Resort Hotel, I noticed they were hosting the year's most important event, the Annual Pity Party. 

I wasn’t going to miss that great social occasion. Many of the town's leading citizens would be there. 

First, there would be the Done family, Should Have Done, Would have Done, and Could Have Done. Then came the I Had family. You probably know ol' Wish I Had & his clan. Of course the Opportunities would be present, Missed and Lost . The biggest family would be the Yesterdays. There are too many of them to count, but each one would have a sad story to tell. 

Then Shattered Dreams would surely make an appearance and Its Their Fault would regale us with stories (excuses) about how things have failed in his life, and each story will be loudly applauded by Don't Blame Me and I Couldn't Help It.

Well, to make a long story short, I went to this depressing party knowing that there would be no real benefit in doing so. And, as usual, I became very depressed. But as I thought about all the stories of failures brought back from the past, it occurred to me that all of this trip and subsequent "pity party" trips could be cancelled by me! I started to truly realize that I did not have to be there. I didn't have to be depressed. One thing kept going through my mind: 

I CAN'T CHANGE YESTERDAY, BUT I DO HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE TODAY A WONDERFUL DAY.

I can be happy, joyous, fulfilled, encouraged, as well as encouraging. Knowing this, i left the City of Regret immediately and left no forwarding address. Am I sorry for mistakes I've made in the past? YES! But there is no physical way to undo them.

So, if your'e planning a trip to the City of Regret, please cancel all your reservations now. Instead, take a trip to a place called Starting Again. I liked it so much that I have taken up permanent residence there. My neighbors, the I Forgive Myself and the New Starts, are also very helpful. By the way, you don't have to carry around heavy baggage, because the load is lifted form your shoulders on arrival. God bless you in finding this great town. If you have difficulty finding it--it's in your own heart--please look me up. I live on I Can Do It Street.