We’ve all been there, lying in bed at night, staring at the ceiling, haunted by the choices we didn’t make. The love we didn’t fight for. The opportunity we walked away from. The words we swallowed instead of speaking our truth.
The what-ifs can feel like ghosts, following us around, whispering about alternate lives we could have lived. But before you lose yourself in regret, remember this:
In Another Universe, You Chose Differently
In another Universe, you said yes instead of no. You took the job across the country. You stayed with the one who got away. You fought harder for a friendship, a dream, a version of yourself that never quite came to be.
Maybe in that Universe, you wake up on a Sunday morning wrapped in the arms of someone you once loved. Maybe you never made the mistakes that still weigh on your heart. Maybe your battle scars look different maybe there are fewer of them, or maybe they don’t ache in quite the same way.
Maybe in that Universe, you spoke up for yourself when it mattered most. You didn’t settle into circumstances that dulled your spirit, that made you question your worth. Maybe you took a different risk, chose a different career, chased a different dream.
In that Universe, all of your what-ifs came to life.
But Here’s the Truth: Different Doesn’t Mean Better
Even in that other Universe, things wouldn’t be perfect. You’d still have nights where your heart feels heavy. You’d still have moments of self-doubt, moments where you wonder if you made the right choices. You’d still experience pain, loss, and uncertainty. Because no matter which path you take, you are still human.
I remember a time when I thought my life had taken the wrong turn. A few years ago, I had the chance to move to a different city for a job that seemed like my dream role. I turned it down, afraid of starting over. For months, I wondered if I had ruined my own future. But then, staying where I was led me to people and opportunities that shaped me in ways I never could have imagined. It taught me that life unfolds as it should, even when we can’t see it in the moment.
The Grass Isn’t Greener, its Just Different
So often, we convince ourselves that a different choice would have made all the difference. That if we had just done this instead of that, we’d be happier, more fulfilled, more at peace. But the truth is, there is no perfect path. Each road comes with its own challenges, its own lessons, its own heartbreaks and triumphs.
Instead of dwelling on what could have been, honor what is.
The relationships that didn’t last? They taught you how to recognize the ones that will. The opportunities that slipped away? They made room for something better. The seasons of grief, of struggle, of uncertainty? They shaped you into someone wiser, someone stronger.
There was a time when I held onto a relationship long past its expiration date because I was terrified of the what-ifs. What if I never found love again? What if I regretted walking away? But in letting go, I learned the most important lesson of all: The courage it takes to leave behind what no longer serves you is the same courage that will lead you to what does.
Trust That the Right Things Will Always Find You
When something leaves your life, it is not a loss. It is the Universe making space. Space for the friendships that will nurture you, for the love that will see you clearly, for the experiences that will shape you in ways you never anticipated.
At the end of the day, what is truly meant for you will never pass you by.
So, the next time the what-ifs try to steal your sleep, remind yourself of this: You are exactly where you are meant to be. Every choice, every detour, every heartbreak and triumph, it has all led you here. And here is not a mistake.
Here is home.
