Chidozie ChimaFailure stings. It’s uncomfortable. It bruises the ego. But regret? Regret is a slow burn—it lingers, it festers, and it whispers in the back of your mind every time you wonder what if?
The thing about failure is that it’s temporary. You screw up, you take the hit, and then you either move on or try again. It’s painful, sure, but at least you know. At least you tried. At least there’s a story to tell.
Regret, though? Regret is the weight of all the things you didn’t do. The choices you never made, the risks you were too scared to take, the words you never said. And the worst part? You don’t get to fix it. The window closes. The opportunity disappears. And all you’re left with is the thought of what could have been.
The Safe Path Isn’t Always the Right Path
Some people fail because they took a risk and crashed. Most people fail because they never took the risk at all.
You tell yourself you’ll do it later. When you’re more prepared. When you’re more confident. When everything is just right.
But later turns into never. And one day, you wake up and realise that the safe path you chose—the one that was supposed to lead somewhere better—has only led you to a life you don’t even recognise.
Maybe it’s the job you hate but never left. Maybe it’s the business idea you never pursued. Maybe it’s the person you loved but never told.
At the time, it felt logical to play it safe. But now? Now you wonder if you just let fear make all your decisions for you.
Failure Hurts, But at Least It’s Honest
Failure is brutal, but it’s honest. It tells you exactly what went wrong. It gives you something to work with.
Regret, on the other hand, is a guessing game. You don’t even know if you would have failed—you just assume. You don’t know if you could have made it work—you just wonder.
And wondering is worse than knowing.
Because knowing means you had the courage to find out.
The Reality of Time (And How It’s Not on Your Side)
You don’t get unlimited chances. You don’t get to pause life until you’re ready. Every day you hesitate, the world moves on. Every opportunity you ignore, someone else takes.
And someday, you’ll look back and realise that the only thing standing between you and the life you wanted was you.
So take the damn risk. Start the thing. Make the call. Speak up. Fail, if you have to. But don’t let fear decide for you.
Because failure stings for a while. But regret? Regret lasts a lifetime.