Why Do We Brood Over Spilled Beans?
(Thoughts from Life’s Journey by Dr Sunil Singh Rana).
There are times when I sit alone and wonder- What if I hadn’t done that? What if I had chosen a different path? Why did I say that? Why did I trust that person? Why did I not listen to my inner voice? These questions don’t leave me easily. They linger like a shadow, always ready to crawl back into the corners of my mind.
Yes, it’s the past I’m talking about; the irreversible, untouchable past. The chapter that’s already written, sealed, and printed. And yet, despite knowing this simple truth; that past cannot be changed- why does the human mind keep going back? Why do we, knowingly or unknowingly, torment ourselves with regrets and “what-ifs”?
I often ask myself: Is it worth thinking about it?
Maybe not. But still, we do it. All of us. No one escapes this trap of memory and guilt.
It’s as if the human mind has a soft corner for punishment. Even when we know that crying over spilled milk won’t refill the glass, we keep crying over it. Maybe it’s our way of coping, or a silent hope that brooding over it will somehow undo the damage. But it doesn’t. It never does.
The more I observe, the more I realise: guilt is like a slow poison. You don’t notice its impact immediately, but it keeps you restless, distracted, and chained. The real tragedy is not the mistake itself- it is our refusal to move on from it.
But let me say something clearly, from my heart, to anyone who reads this:
It is always better to mend your ways than to curse your fate.
Mistakes happen. Decisions go wrong. People deceive. Opportunities are lost. And yes, we falter. But the beauty of life lies not in its perfection but in its power to allow course correction. If we have the courage to look at our faults in the eye and take sincere steps to rectify them, then there’s no guilt we cannot dissolve.
We must understand: Any bad thing can be rectified if approached sincerely. Not by denying it, not by ignoring it, and certainly not by overthinking it- but by making it right, one honest step at a time.
And even if that past cannot be fully undone, we can start from scratch, with the right intent. Life may not offer us the same moment again, but it often gives us a new moment; a second chance, a fresh start, a hopeful beginning.
The spilled beans may never go back into the jar, but we can always cook something new with what’s still left with us.
So next time when guilt knocks at your mind, sit with it, listen to it, but don’t live with it. Use it. Let it make you a better person, not a bitter one.
We all are broken in some way, but we are not beyond repair. As long as there’s hope, there’s a way.
Comments
Post a Comment