I see “No regerts” on tattoo fails all the time and I can’t help but slap my head every time I see it. I’m sure you’ve seen it throughout your time on the internet as well.

One of my favorite gifs is of Captain Jack Sparrow’s ship sinking as he steps onto the pier. Someone has written “I regret nothing” along the bottom. (Google it; I would put it here, but copyright and everything…)

After a quick exchange with a dear friend of mine, Kyle Hamstra (seriously, follow him if you aren’t already… he’s a wealth of knowledge and one of the kindest gentlemen ever), I started thinking about all the things we don’t do because we’re afraid.

I’m diving into something that terrifies me right now. I’m worried that I will fail, that naysayers will judge me based on that failure. Others might say, “I knew she’d never finish that!”, or “I knew nothing would come of it.” I worry that all of the time I put into this endeavor will leave me with nothing to show for it. I’m afraid of disappointing others, and myself.

As insane as it sounds, I’m also scared to succeed. (Weird, huh? Welcome to my twisted way of thinking.) What if I succeed and it changes my life? What if I’m comfortable where I am, doing what I do? (That’s another blog for another day.) What if this becomes the pinnacle of my being and I never experience success like it again. What if I succeed and success isn’t as sweet as I’d hoped it would be? What if I make someone close to me mad or hurt someone’s feelings that I adore unintentionally? Success opens itself up to a whole new barrel of fears!

But do you know what I’m absolutely petrified by? Regret. I never want to look back on my life and regret a decision I’ve made. I never want to regret not taking the leap. I never want my children to see me let the fear of failure or success prevent me from trying to achieve my dreams! It’s said that people on their deathbed rarely say they regret something they’ve done, but that they regret the chances they never took. I don’t want to be that person.

I’ve made many mistakes; I’ve had many setbacks. I’ve even had a few successes sprinkled in the mix! And you know what? I don’t regret a single thing. Everything I have done has got me to this point. I have learned something from every step I have taken, whether it was a step forward or two steps back. So I refuse to regret today when looking back tomorrow. I will chase my dreams. I will fight past the fear, and I won’t sweat success. I will get after it, so I don’t look back and wish I had taken the chance.

What are you waiting for? Failure and success are nothing compared to regret. Regret is a powerful emotion that can bring you to your knees. Regret nothing. No regerts.

Get it done.