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Wellness > Mental Health

Decision Making Quotes For When You’re Having Regrets

Chelsea Kun
Bailey McBride
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at PSU chapter.

Decisions, decisions. 

One of the most prominent parts of life is making choices. This could range from deciding which drink to get at Starbucks to choosing your college major. Nothing is easy about decision making, and this part of life comes with a common fear — making a mistake. 

This is why many people are indecisive because they don’t want to regret their decisions in the end. Throughout college, I have had to make many choices, some easy and some difficult. Though it was a major decision, choosing my major was quite easy because it related to something I was passionate about. However, choosing to take a short break from my long-term relationship was not such an easy one. 

Some decisions need to be made on the spot, but some need weeks of thought and pondering — especially the decisions we don’t want to make. Choosing to step away from my relationship was something I had considered for weeks, going back and forth deciding whether or not it was right. I was so afraid I was making a mistake, but I wanted to do something that was healthy for me. During this break, my thoughts were all over the place, and one feeling completely took over my brain: regret. 

Even though choosing my major was an easy decision, I have come across and worked with people who made me regret that decision. Everyone experiences regret in some way, shape or form. However, no matter what decision a person makes, things will work out in the end. If that decision was a mistake, you can only learn from it. If it was right, then it will positively reflect on your life. 

During the break in my relationship, I loved reading inspirational quotes. I needed to validate my decision and make sure I wasn’t crazy for making it. 

In the end, my relationship turned out fine — even stronger than before. I didn’t end our break because of regret. I made the right choice in taking a break. I took time to reflect on myself and our relationship, and I got the clarity I needed. It turned out to be a hard choice, but a smart one.

If you are regretting a choice and need validation, ease your mind with these inspirational quotes. 

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” — Andre Gide

Even if a decision seems impossible, you’ll never know how it can change your life until you try. 

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” — Elbert Hubbard

Though many people fear mistakes, that shouldn’t stop you from making a decision. You’ll never know what can come about. 

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” — Lao Tzu

Something that can come about from decision-making is change. Don’t fear change — all things happen for a reason. 

“You can’t make decisions based on fear and the possibility of what might happen.” — Michelle Obama 

Similar to the second quote, fearing mistakes is your worst enemy. You’ll never know what will happen unless you take a chance. 

“Trust your instincts, and make judgements on what your heart tells you. The heart will not betray you.” — David Gemmell, Fall of Kings

As they say on “The Bachelor,” follow your heart. Trust your gut and have confidence in your choices.

“I have accepted fear as part of life — specifically the fear of change…I have gone ahead despite the pounding in the heart that says turn back.” — Erica Jong

This is my favorite quote of them all. The voice in your head that says you made a mistake is constantly there, but you have to ignore that voice and follow your gut. 

“It does not take much strength to do things, but it requires a great deal of strength to decide what to do.” — Elbert Hubbard 

This is very true — decision making takes a lot of courage. Doing is one thing, deciding is a whole other thing. 

“Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same.” — The Fray, “All at Once” 

This quote relates the most to the break in my relationship. It was such a hard thing to do, and it broke my heart. But, it was the right choice in the end. 

I am a senior majoring in Digital and Print Journalism at Penn State University, so I absolutely love to write. I am originally from Easton, Pennsylvania (no I did not grow up in the Crayola Factory). I love to sing, and I am a huge Kelly Clarkson fan! I literally have every single Kelly Clarkson lyric in the history of ever memorized. On a normal day, you'll most likely find me cuddling with my dogs and watching Disney movies.
Bailey McBride is a Senior at Penn State University pursuing a Broadcast Journalism degree with minors in Political Science and Digital Media Trends & Analytics. She is a sister of Delta Gamma. She enjoys making hyper-organizational lists and looking at future pups to adopt. Her dream job is to be Press Secretary of the White House.