Is there Kryptonite nearby?

Though I desire strongly to nap through my presumably pollen-induced haze, I am determined to post instead. Once again Nickerblog has inspired me to sit still and write. He talks about having the opportunity to have additional lives, say 3 in a row, though you don't know until the end of the first that you'll get another shot. I'm not sure if you get to remember your previous lives or not in his scenario, but it triggered some recent thoughts of mine regarding time travel.

I often ponder choices I've made, experiences I've had, and how they affect who I am today, as well as how far back I'd have to go to change the course of my life in any significant way. I always end up thinking that I would probably need to start from grade school, and the very thought of reliving those years with the memory of a 31 year old is enough to make my present life quite palatable. It's the 'if I knew then what I know now' scenario, but the flaw would be retaining the original memories which would still influence who you were even if you lived things differently. I suppose ideally one would get the opportunity to relive past moments differently without knowing it; perhaps a subconscious memory would serve as one's guide. Shy of having a perfect life, I think I would take any opportunity to relive things differently for the sake of new experience just so long as I didn't have to cart around my current memories. But then I would cease to be myself, wouldn't I? So perhaps not. The key would be to relive in one's own skin while overcoming certain genetic predispositions.

In Shane's scenario, you get three shots at life, but have more control over your state of being. Essentially, you're able to achieve whatever you would choose with enough knowledge to try something different each time and enough lack of memory to keep you from squandering a lifetime. If we assume this is my first life, then for my second, I would choose to be fearless, one who seeks the extremes of adventure and sensation even though that might make for a short life. The third would then combine the best traits and temper the negative ones of the previous two to result in something remarkable: a life fulfilling its greatest potential in every way.

Too vague a wish for any of the creatures in stories which grant them, but I like the sentiment all the same.