“Things will always go wrong. You can’t avoid them. Regrets will always be harder than Consequences ever will. That is why I will never regret living life to the fullest. I might have made some mistakes. I might be wrong but I certainly will not regret nor doubt what got me into the place. Call me immature or call me stupid, for it is I am happy :)”

Life has a way of offering us choices, and no matter how carefully we choose, things inevitably go wrong. It’s not about avoiding mistakes or sidestepping every problem — that’s impossible. Instead, it’s about choosing which burden to carry: the burden of consequence or the weight of regret. I’ve found that regrets cut far deeper than any consequence ever could. That’s why I refuse to regret living my life to the fullest.

Recently, someone called me out in a professional scenario — a moment that gave me pause. I may have been wrong in the decisions I made, and I’m willing to own that. But there is one thing I am unwilling to do: regret the choices that brought me to this point. Call me immature or call me foolish, but I am happy — and happiness is, after all, the final arbiter of whether or not our choices were right for us.

The Burden of Consequences

Living boldly comes with consequences, just like navigating a stormy sea comes with waves that crash against the boat. Consequences, I’ve learned, are the price of riding those waves — of sailing, of feeling the wind against my face, of seeing what lies beyond the horizon. Sure, sometimes the waves leave me drenched, bruised, and aching. But these bruises, these temporary moments of pain — they are proof of my journey. Consequences sting, but they also remind me that I’m alive, engaged, and reaching.

Consequences are like the marks left behind by a fire. They may char the surface, but beneath the ash lies proof of resilience — of having burned brightly and, despite it all, survived. They are the signs that I have dared, that I have not merely existed within the box the world built for me.

SO RISE UP LIKE A PHOENIX!

SOAR WITH THE WIND!

Recently, I was criticized at work for a choice I made — a choice that was perhaps unconventional, maybe even rash. And maybe it wasn’t the “right” choice in the context of corporate perfection. But as I sit here and reflect on that decision, I still don’t regret it. Why? Because the decision was authentically mine. It was rooted in who I am, in my values, and in my desire to keep pushing boundaries, even when they come with costs.

It’s what enabled my parents to move to America with only $2,000 in their pockets, starting a job they had barely held for a month before being laid off on a worker visa. Despite the challenges, they persevered, worked tirelessly, and never gave up. And in those times to find a worker visa — harder than ever. Yet they found a visa and continued to do so and then opened a business and then opened more and then found the dream they wanted.

Today, they are millionaires.

Call me immature. Call me unwise. But call me happy too — because I am. I made my choice and embraced the ripples it caused, knowing that those ripples are better than the stillness of never making a move.

My Final Thoughts.

Life will never be perfect. Things will always go wrong. There will be moments of embarrassment, missteps, times we wish things had turned out differently. But living fully, embracing the consequences that come with daring to move forward, is infinitely better than spending life paralyzed by the fear of regret. Like a kite flying high, I accept the winds that shake me, because without them, I’d never rise.

And that’s my choice — to soar, consequences and all. To live without the weight of regret and to be grateful for every misstep, every bump, and every success along the way.

Till then

@pplcallmetat on instagram.

tat.upadhyay@gmail.com