Taking one path often means missing out on another.

This idea haunts me and every decision I have ever made. Seemingly miniscule decisions can have a significant impact on your future. I have made several friends by being uncharacteristically forward that I would have never met otherwise, and it makes me worried about how many incredible friends I may have missed out on by taking the passive road.

This concept always comes into light when I get into a relationship. I met my current girlfriend in my Computer Science class, and by being more outgoing than I regularly am, I was able to get her number on day one. This ended up being a very significant moment, because during that week she was forced to switch out of my class and I would have never gotten to speak to her again. We would have been little more than fleeting memories in each other’s minds.

Moments like this always make me think of past experiences. How many other times has a situation like this come up, with myself allowing it to pass? How many incredible experiences have I missed out on simply by keeping to myself? How many lives could I have changed? How many psychological issues could I have overcome? How many loves have I let fall to the wayside?

I realize it is a popular opinion in today’s society that we should always be looking forward, but I cannot help but to analyze the decisions I have made and simply think “what if?”