Regret?

Everyone has a past. Some part of it are good and some bad. We all get nostalgic and consider it as sweet memories about the good past while we mostly regret about the bad past. But why do we have to regret? See it from a different point, we did what made us happy at that moment. Even the bad past must have given some beautiful moments. A month back, I wasn\’t this philosophical about what I just explained. But during the consolidation period, one of my friends explained and made me understand this \”don\’t regret anything that happened. At that point, you did what made you happy\”.

Whenever I explain something, I differentiate the matter in two fields; personal and professional. While personal thing about the past can deal with friendships and family issues, professional issues are strictly exclusive to career. Four years back, if someone had told me all these, I would have wondered how does both these differentiate and isn\’t it linked. Yes, it is linked but it has a difference. It should be different. When people fail to differentiate and build the wall between these two, the problems begin. I have hardly worked with the same crew for more than one work. The only consistent crew member I have had all through this 5 years is my poster designer. Everyone else kept on rotating. But never did any issues creep up to change them with every project. It was all a part of need of the hour. As in, sometimes I had to change a person because he or she is busy with other project and sometimes I had to bring in new assistants because the other ones have exams. I\’ve had misunderstandings with the crew which have led to arguments but never an ego clash. \’Cause ego can ruin the bonding. I have had set backs in my career with flopped works and cancelled projects. I think I have told this in one of my previous blogs. When in Mumbai, I was asked to introduce myself as a Director in front of Shailesh sir, my biggest supporter and best faculty I came across. I told him that my second short film was a huge flop and I had cancelled projects as well in my list. He stopped me and rectified me \”It wasn\’t a flop, it was an experience\”. Ever since that day, I consider every setback in my life as an experience.

Past is an experience, an experience which should always be remembered in your present to build an unrepeatable future. More than often, we come across people who keep regretting their past. It is good to regret but it is not good to let it affect the present you have. When that happens, the life is just being ruined forcefully by yourself. The biggest example of not doing this is Shine Tom Chacko\’s life. He spent 60 days in the jail for the drugs case and when he came out he said though he didn\’t carry any drugs or use it, he regrets for even smoking and drinking and thus hurting his parents. This regression had made him to a better person. True that. But here, he is not just sitting and regretting. He has come out of it and he is back in action with his films. This is what everyone should do including myself.

Regret your past if that gives you any peace, but also see it as an experience, come out of it and lead a better life.