I spent so long looking back that I walked right into a wall without realizing it.
In life, I find it crucial to love and accept our past. Be it mistakes/missteps or beautiful memories, both deserve to be honored and respected. Sometimes though, it becomes so incredibly easy to keep our sights trained on the past. I either obsess over the mistakes, the should’ve/could’ve/would’ves, or I become so entrenched in fondly viewing the memories that I manage to halt my forward motion.
When we spend too much time looking back, good or bad, we invariably run smack into a wall. This isn’t how we’re meant to be. Life goes on; the world keeps turning. Victor Hugo said, “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” Well, my friend, whether what you find yourself looking back at is good or bad, be sure to give your past the space to view that beautiful sunrise coming up on the horizon.
None of this is to say that we should ignore our past. We should always learn from it, process it, honor and respect it, in our own way. That being said, we also need to balance that with looking out for the sunrise. Because, how sad would it be to miss a stunning sunrise? Surely, far sadder than missing out on lovingly viewing a fond memory, or worse yet, hemming and hawing over how things might have gone differently. Worse still, missing those sunrises can easily become us walking face first into a proverbial wall as we keep our gaze directed at our past rather than our present and our future.
So. Allow your past to be your rudder, just don’t let it take so much of your attention that you don’t see yourself about to run aground. Though your gaze may drift back, lovingly keep your focus on your future, and on that gorgeous sunrise.