No Regrets

by Krystal Carr Sancho

No Regrets

Miriam Webster defines regret as “an expression of distressing emotion (such as sorrow) aroused by circumstances beyond one’s control or power to repair.” Although this description offers an educable explanation for regret, no one really understand it until they’ve lived with it, known someone who has, or have done their very best to avoid it.

Charlene Robbins, a PhD candidate at Regent University, sat with Height Magazine representatives to offer perspectives on regret through experiences in her personal journey. Robbins describes certain courses in her life as tumultuous. She distinctively noted two occurrences; the absence of her mother at the age of thirteen and her induction into single motherhood (of twins) at the age of fifteen. On the surface, it seemed the odds were stacked against her; however, she refuted statistical negativism and overcame challenges.

“Most people would define regret as feeling guilty or sorrowful after experiencing aversive consequences for a particular decision or a specific action,” Robbins expressed. “Regret can present itself as embarrassment, shame, or remorse; I decided that I did not want to participate in any of that.”

The tenacity that Robbins presented was formidable. Her ability to weather the sequestered storms of life is a perfect example of grace under fire. “I was raised by my grandmother,” she says. “She was strong, independent, and determined; it was by her example that I learned to persevere through hardships by doing what I had to do.” Charlene made sure that regret would not be a character in her story. When asked if she regretted anything in her life, she confidently responded, “No, I do not regret anything.” “Life happens,” she continued, “ of course, there are many things that I feel that I could have done differently; however, I believe that when faced with adverse circumstances, make the best of it.”

We can certainly agree that she has not only turned lemons into lemonade, but has also developed a blue print for a lemonade empire. Her accomplishments include graduating high school class of 1990 (on time and in spite of mothering twins); earning a number of degrees, Associate’s in General Education, Bachelor’s in Religious Studies, Master’s in Divinity, and most recently she is in candidacy for a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD). Consequently, Robbins’ accomplishments extend far beyond the lecture hall experience. Her most cherished accomplishment is when she became a Christian. “I was not in church most of my childhood,” explains Robbins, “but, I believe that God was guiding my footsteps throughout my life.”

Charlene Robbins has taught us that if we persevere through the challenges that life may take us through that “we can use these circumstances to motivate us to make better choices in the future.” If we follow that same creed, “At the end of the day, let there be no excuses, no explanations, and no regrets”.~ Steve Maraboli