Everyday Canvas

On Potential

Prompt:
“People are messy. They are defined not only by what they've done, but by what they could have done, under different circumstances, molded as much by their regrets as their actions, choices they stand by and those they wish they could undo. Of course, there's no going back - time only moves forward - but people can change."
Victoria Schwab
Let this quote inspire your entry today.

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Could have, would have, should have! So useless, isn't it! Regretting something already done is in vain and it may even hurt the psyche of the person who keeps regretting and beating himself or herself up for not doing or doing something. Isn't it, therefore, a much better idea to just learn from a mistake or from a time badly spent and move on?

Talking about myself, being defined by what I could have done can be a praise in disguise of a blame, since it honors the potential within me and within each of us, while it recognizes the paths I didn't choose are as much a part of me as the ones I have walked. It moves me to think, "God, I did have potential, didn't I!" So existential, I'd say.

Too many forks on the road, and we regret the one we've taken? We had to choose, didn't we!

In writing, we are usually introduced to that unchosen path with the "what if" question. The answers to "what if" are mostly about the understanding of the human condition and the richness of our complex inner lives.

As such, our identities are not static but they evolve continually. We all are much more than our deeds and past decisions. Yes, we have potential. All of us. But who says we have to use it to its limits? Then, isn't our potential limitless, also?