😔 Regretful Remains: The Story of Simba

Choices he made, paths he didn't take. He wish he had been braver, that he had stayed.

On Regret:

Choices, consequences, and the shadows they cast.
Promises, broken, and the silence that follows.
Dreams, deferred, and the longing that lingers.
Actions, inaction, and the weight of what could have been.

Words, unspoken, and the echoes in our minds.
Paths, untaken, and the mysteries they hold.
Opportunities, lost, and the lessons learned too late.
Moments, missed, and the time we can never reclaim.

The year was 1918.

In the quiet town of Eldridge of Iowa, where the streets whispered secrets and the trees stood as silent witnesses, lived a man named Simba Sotherland. Choices, consequences, and the shadows they cast had marked his life, leaving behind a trail of regrets that haunted his every step.

Simba often wandered the old cobblestone paths, lost in thoughts of promises, broken, and the silence that followed. He remembered the day he promised Lily, the love of his youth, that he would always be there for her. But dreams, deferred, and the longing that lingers led him astray. He had pursued a career in the bustling city, leaving Lily and their small town behind.

18 years passed, and Simba found success, but actions, inaction, and the weight of what could have been burdened his heart. He returned to Eldridge, only to find Lily married and given birth to a boy, living a life they had once dreamed of together. Words, unspoken, and the echoes in our minds filled his thoughts, reminding him of the things he never had the courage to say. Beads of tears rolled down on his cheeks, his head down, slowly he walked away.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Simba stood at the edge of the old bridge, gazing at the river flowing beneath. Paths, untaken, and the mysteries they hold played out like a film in his mind. He wondered what life would have been like if he had stayed, if he had chosen love over ambition.

Moments, missed, and the time we can never reclaim weighed heavily on him. He thought about the laughter they could have shared, the family they might have built. Opportunities, lost, and the lessons learned too late became the constant thoughts in his heavy head.

Simba decided to visit Lily one last time. As he approached her house, his heart pounded with memories and regret. She greeted him with a warm smile, her eyes filled with kindness. They sat on the porch, talking about the old days. Simba finally spoke the words he had kept inside for so long.

"Lily," he began, his voice trembling, "I’ve lived with so many regrets. Choices I made, paths I didn't take. I wish I had been braver, that I had stayed."

Lily looked at him, her eyes gentle. "Simba, we all have our regrets. But we also have our moments of joy, love, and growth. Life is a blend of both. We can't change the past, but we can cherish the memories and learn from them."

As they talked, Simba felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He realized that while regret had shaped him, it didn't have to define him. In that moment, he found a semblance of peace, understanding that even in the face of regret, there was always hope for redemption.

Thus, with a lighter heart, Simba left Eldridge, poised to embrace his Parisian plans, understanding that, though he couldn't alter the past, he could accept his choices and discover new roads to travel, released from his remains of regret.

First, we feel the pain, then we face the facts, next we forgive our faults, and finally we find our freedom.

Sol’s Sircle 🔸

One of my reader private messaged on Substack the other day about handling feeling envious…

“Sol, I love your articles. Need your help—How do I handle feeling envious? Is it bad I feel this way?”

Here’s my take:

Hi friend,

I hear you.

Envy is like that feeling when you see someone with something you really want, like a cool new gadget or being really good at something. It's normal to feel this way, so don’t beat yourself up about it.

1 simple tip to handle Envy

Get to know what you envy.

Sometimes, when we get to know the person we envy, we realize their life isn’t perfect either. Imagine seeing your friend with a shiny new luxury bag and feeling jealous. But when you talk to them, you find out they have chores to do every day to earn it.

Knowing their story and context can make you feel less envious.

1 easy exercise to handle Envy

I call this exercise: “Notice and Name It”

When you feel envy, just say to yourself, “I’m feeling envious because of X or Y.” It’s like recognizing when you’re hungry or tired. Knowing what you’re feeling helps you deal with it better. By understanding envy and using the simple tip and exercise I shared, you can turn a negative feeling into something positive and help yourself grow.

Remember, everyone has their own special things, including you.

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My dear readers, I’d love to hear from you :)

see you in our next Essays,

- sol 🧡