In one book, everybody can change. In 300 pages, every character that you've met has become a new character by the end. And so, what might you do in 30 days, let alone 30 years? This is incredible. You get a snapshot of your potential every time you read a novel.
You can regret something and hold yourself accountable for it, but that doesn't mean you have to punish yourself for the rest of your life. You could learn from your regrets. You could try to transform them or try to do something good with them.
I think that being an adult is sort of like reconciling who you are with who you want to be. And it's great to have dreams, and sometimes dreams don't come true, but that doesn't mean you can't have another. That doesn't mean—life goes on, right?