How can I move past regrets about a less-than-perfect past and start living fully?
I often feel sadness and regret about my past—about missed opportunities and experiences I didn’t have. I look at people who seem to have had a "normal" upbringing and relationships, and I feel like they don’t carry this same weight. For them, the past just is what it is, but for me, it feels like a shadow I can’t escape.
These feelings affect my present life. They hold me back from seeking new experiences, especially in relationships, and I often waste time stuck in this state of melancholy. Sometimes, I even cope in unhealthy ways, like staying up all night or falling into bad habits.
I want to live as though my past didn’t limit me, as though I had the full life I longed for. I don’t want these feelings to keep destroying my ability to move forward.
How can I let go of this regret and start living in the present, as if everything worked out? Has anyone else faced this kind of struggle and found a way to overcome it?