I have always seen life as an opportunity to progress and improve. Yet, there have been times I have been unable to seize that opportunity because I was spending all my time looking back.
If you are anything like me, looking back can create emotional hurdles which are difficult to overcome. Pain, hurt, disappointment and anger are real and can rise-up as we reflect on our past.
Remembering these times is normal and natural. However, focusing on them can be detrimental, by paralyzing us and not allowing us to progress.
Though I believe there is value in contemplating and considering our past, spending too much time looking through the lens of regret can cause us to miss the opportunities that lie before us.
Remaining fixated on the past makes “moving forward” very difficult if not impossible.
To that end, instead of focusing on the past, we should focus on creating a better future.
You see, “moving forward” is crucial to our development as both a person and a culture.
Understanding our history and getting over it is our responsibility. Just as moving forward is our choice.
As with everything in life, we are the ones who will be affected by the choices we make, and we are the ones who will have to live with the consequences of those choices.
Our past, unlike our present and future, has already occurred. No matter how hard we try, we cannot change that. But we can use our past to our advantage by learning from it and applying what we learn to our life.
The disadvantage in spending too much time regarding the past is it can prevent us from “moving forward”.
This is truly unfortunate because the past is not supposed to hold us back. The past is there to compel us forward by reminding us of the mistakes that have been made and then helping us to determine not to repeat those same mistakes.
Progress comes with the implementation of new ideas not by holding on to old ones.
I am not sure about you, but when it comes to my life, “moving forward” has never been an option. It has always been required. As for the past, it has always been my greatest teacher, even though many of its lessons have been difficult ones.
To see our past as a catalyst to a better tomorrow is up to us. The only way this can occur is if we begin by “moving forward” today. The question is will we?
Exodus 14:15, “The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.”
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