Although I wrote this reply for another online friend's post this morning, I think it's appropriate for your post too:

Salutations!

JaiChai here.

How are you and yours doing ?

I enjoyed your thought provoking post immensely.

My Thoughts:

So much of our natural selves seems to vanish when we finally "grow up".

The carefree life is replaced with unnecessary anxiety over present and future obligations, not to mention the debilitating depression stemming from regretting past mistakes.

The constant societal pressure to act "mature" results in too many people worrying more about "looking responsible" than "being happily responsible"; that is, being grateful for having someone you love (or something you care about deeply) to be responsible for.

RE: The Past

For those dealing with the regrets from past mistakes, I recommend saying this to yourself throughout the day:

"That was then, this is now. The past is past. Leave it there. Remember the lesson, but don't bring past negativity (e.g., corrosive emotions) into the present. Otherwise, you'll be suffering from self-inflicted psychological wounds." - JaiChai

Say that over and over again until the thought of the mistake can pass through your mind without evoking any emotion whatsoever.

"The Eyes of a Child"...

"The Eyes of a Child sees the world and the mouth can not resist smiling..." - Jaichai

How old are your eyes, my friend(s)?

Namaste, JaiChai