Being Erica - Would you want to revisit past regrets?

Since hearing about E4's new Canadian drama, Being Erica, I wanted to see it. As a coach and psychotherapy student, I think the idea of listing regrets and being transported back in time so you can have a second chance is a great premise for a TV show.

But as a human, the idea terrifies me. I barely got through my regretful situations the first time. What if things were even worse when reliving them?

Erica's regrets aren't traumas but they're entertainingly cringeworthy to watch from behind a cushion. And so far, although she's spent years haunted by the wish she'd done certain things differently, she seems to be learning that the choices she made were actually right for her.

But it's the "therapist" (magician?) who seems to have the most fun.

He demands complete committment to change, has the ability to move his office around like one of the lands at the top of The Magic Faraway Tree (it pops up all over the place) and doesn't seem to need to earn a living.

Thinking about your own life, are you hung up on certain regrets?

Imagine you could go back and relive certain episodes from your own life? What would you want to do differently?

With that knowledge, how can you approach your life today differently without having to revisit the actual scene?

Are you carrying too much emotional baggage? Lighten up in stages

Is there an area of life that you keep trying to suppress? Trying to pack these unwanted emotions away is like extra baggage in a suitcase that even sitting on top of won't close. It will weigh you down.

I know it's easier said than done... "Let it go", "Move on", "Forgive and forget" sound simple enough. And yet, very few people manage to release all unhelpful feelings, attachments and general baggage.

The Brahma Kumaris' (www.bkwsu.org/uk/welcome) Dadi Janki escaped violence and abuse but fled to safety and, now in her 90s, still travels the world spreading her message of peace, love and non-attachment.

Imagine yourself letting go off that row / heartbreak / betrayal and the feelings of lightness that will follow.

I'm not yet able to release everything but by choosing to get rid of what I can, I'm heading in the right direction. Be gentle with yourself and take small steps into a genuinely lighter life.

© Eve Menezes Cunningham / http://www.applecoaching.com/ 2008.