If wishes were horses, I will ride back to undo my actions

If it were possible for us to travel back to whatever time to redo certain acts and correct some mistakes, I trust many people would jump at it. Who wouldn’t want to undo regrets and rewrite their story? On the surface, such a gift might feel like the best thing to happen to humanity. But deep down, would it truly be good for us? How would we grow if there were no mistakes to shape us? It is good that all of us want to travel back to undo certain acts, but can we just learn from them and move on?

There was a time I sat down to reflect on my journey in this life, and after a while, I discovered that many mistakes had been made by my ignorance. Mistakes that cannot be undone, except by learning from them and making sure I never repeat them again. One example that stands out was when I had pharmacy in mind to study, but ignorance diverted me, and I ended up in the education system. That choice turned me into a teacher. Sometimes I wonder if I had not changed my course, maybe today I would have become the best pharmacist. The thought lingers, not as a wound, but as a reminder of how one decision can alter an entire path.

Another moment was when I had the opportunity to work with the Federal Road Safety Corps. I ran from it because of the rigorous training. Fear of the unknown pushed me away, and I let the opportunity slip by. Not long after, I started a job hunt that eventually led me into teaching. At that point, I had no choice because bills had to be paid. Life demanded responsibility, even if it wasn’t the path I had first imagined.

Looking back, I see a lot of mistakes that I wish I could travel back to correct. But the truth is, it is not possible. Time does not bend backward for us. Those regrets can only remain wishes. What I can do, however, is take the lessons and allow them to guide me forward. If such a gift as time travel were truly handed to us, how would we ever learn? The essence of failure is not just in the pain it brings but in the wisdom it leaves behind. Many of the best lessons in life come from the times we failed or stumbled. Failure pushes us to try harder, to reflect, to learn and unlearn, and to grow even though the process is uncomfortable. Such is life!

Yes, failure hurts. It forces us to question ourselves, to wrestle with disappointment. But without those hard moments, we can't really learn. Success only tastes sweet because we know what bitterness feels like. Growth comes not from perfection, but from resilience, the ability to rise again after a fall. The downfall of a man is not the end of him. David fell but he rose again and became a king👌

Time travel will always remain a fascinating “what if.” But perhaps it is good that we cannot go back. For in truth, our mistakes, though painful, are our greatest teachers. Without them, there would be no growth, no resilience, no empathy, and no story worth telling. I just wish so many people on the verge of a suicidal attempt could rethink again, embrace the lessons life has thrown their way, nd keep moving forward because at the end of the day, who we become is not defined by the mistakes we erase, but by the strength we gain when we rise above them.

#hivelearners edition three writing prompts on the topic:Time and Again

The images are mine.