How to Rise Above Regret: Why We Don’t Have to Be Bottom Feeders

Question and Thought for the Day February 8, 2025

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Rise Above: Why We Don’t Have to Be Bottom Feeders

Thought of the Day: We don’t have to be bottom feeders.

Question of the Day: What’s an embarrassing moment from your past you’d like to rewrite?

The Comfort of the Bottom
It’s easy to linger at the bottom. Low expectations, minimal risk, and the ability to complain without taking action make it a tempting place to stay. It’s the realm of those who believe the game is rigged, that effort is wasted, and that other people—luckier, more talented, or more connected—will always have the upper hand.

I get it. I’ve been there. We all have at some point. Maybe it was a phase, maybe it was a mindset, or maybe it was just a moment. But the truth is, we don’t have to stay there. We don’t have to be bottom feeders.

The Pull of Regret
Regret is one of the strongest anchors keeping us there. And what better source of regret than embarrassment? Those cringeworthy, stomach-dropping moments that make you wish you had a rewind button. Maybe you said something idiotic in front of a crowd. Maybe you trusted someone you shouldn’t have. Maybe you let yourself down in a way that still stings years later.

Here’s the thing, though: you don’t have to keep reliving those moments. You don’t have to let them define you.

Rewriting the Past (At Least in Your Mind)
We can’t actually go back and change what happened, but we can decide how much power those moments hold over us. We can learn, we can laugh, and we can let go. The embarrassment that once felt unbearable is often just proof that we took a risk, that we were human, that we were trying.

What’s an embarrassing moment from your past you’d like to rewrite? How would you handle it differently today? And more importantly—can you take that lesson and use it to rise above, to refuse to be a bottom feeder in your own life?

Because the best way to escape the bottom is to stop looking down.