We often think of ourselves as being defined by our choices in life. We choose, and have chosen, to become… (whomever)

Never forget that we are also defined by those opportunities we forego. The "I coulda, shoulda, woulda, oughta opportunities in our lives" are best remembered in a light that affirm our ultimate choices, not in a way that voices regrets. When I was in high school, I dreamed of becoming a Marine helicopter pilot. Circumstances prevented it. Had I followed that path at that time (and many who did lived very short lives), who knows what might have happened. Speculating offers the opportunity to envision heroic opportunities but it generates an unfair comparison between a reality has happened and a fantasy that never was.