OOOooo! Is that the symbol for luck?

No. It actually says "At the end of the day, this is an ugly boy"

I have a tattoo behind my left ear. Of a ladybug. In flight. I absolutely love it. People often see it and marvel at how cute, or feminine, or creative it is. It is inevitable that I will get the question “So what’s the story behind that?” Unlike most people who have long, involved stories of the significance of their markings and their emotional attachment to it's meaning, mine is short and always the same: “It was a joke that went too far.”

While I love (or learn to love) pretty much every decision I make, I often encounter people that are living with something that they regret daily. Be it a drunken collegiate tattoo, any hairstyle from 1981-1995, or a relationship that went bad, people often devote a great deal of energy to begrudging a past that is, if anything, unalterable. While I in no way advocate forgetting your past (it does repeat, you know), I offer the following suggestions:


1) Regret causes premature wrinkling and diminished health. OK. I can't prove that. But it does make you act old and lame.



2) Everything is a learning experience. Granted, other people may learn more than you (like, "Hey, maybe I shouldn't get a unicorn tattooed on my lower back!" or "Unprotected sex with strangers? Not so smart.") Don't be sad; just call yourself a professor and keep it moving.



3) Mistakes make for the best stories! See: Pursuit of Happyness




4) Was it really that bad? Honestly, it might have been. Regardless, you cannot undo it. Find a way to turn lemons into lemonade (or a Lemon Drop if you're really sad).



5) Mistakes can produce masterpieces. You never know.



6) Dwelling on the negative makes it impossible to produce anything positive. If your past makes it impossible to make new memories, you are as lame as the thing you regret.


7) Think ahead! You cannot undo what has happened, but you can work proactively to avoid negativity in your life.


In my personal opinion, regret is one of the most illogical, non-productive emotions possible. Therefore, if you end up with "ugly boy" instead of "strength" tattooed on your arm, make it into a joke and create a stand-up routine.