To Atone or Not to Atone

I believe atonement for past sins is possible, but that atonement comes only with penance,sacrifice, and the pure desire to rectify the situation. We have all made mistakes, they are inevitable, I have made and will continue to make them (everyday even). Regret is a hollow feeling, one that tugs at your conscience, and it is not until you fix what you have done that you can feel settled again. We have the ability to make something "good again," this is true. We can do this because we have to in a way. There are things that cannot be fixed completely, but the surface of that cut can heal. I try to get caught up in regret, because I fell that if I do I will realize that I have many regrets. Instead I do not see things as regrets, but instead as a realization that I should next time do it in a different way or manner.