What would happen if you walked down the street backwards?
Would you fall off the curb-- or into a ditch?
Collide with a lamp post in your path?
Miss the chance to smile at someone walking towards you?
Or worse, miss the walk signal and step in front of a distracted driver?
All too often, we walk through life like this, focusing on what we’ve experienced in the past -- the “ditch” we already fell into, the bruises earned in our last encounter with an immovable object (or person), the missed opportunities, the unanticipated crises.
I’ve heard this called “living life through the rear-view mirror.”
The sad thing about living looking behind me is that too often I miss the chance to create something new, meet someone new, become someone new.
Yes, there were glorious sunsets in my past and impressive achievements that I’m proud of: it’s not all ditches and lamp posts. However, if I want to experience new breath-taking vistas and climb new learning curves to the very peak, I have to face forward and turn on my internal navigation system.
It’s become a daily practice to first feel grateful for where my path has taken me so far, and then turn and face forward into the day, holding a vision of where I’ve yet to travel and who I’ve yet to become.
If each day begins to look pretty much identical to the one before it, it may be time to tuck your past in and give it a tender kiss goodnight. All that came before right now is the perfect preparation for whatever grand adventures you turn around and embrace.
A reminder to myself today…. to TURN AROUND.
Would you fall off the curb-- or into a ditch?
Collide with a lamp post in your path?
Miss the chance to smile at someone walking towards you?
Or worse, miss the walk signal and step in front of a distracted driver?
All too often, we walk through life like this, focusing on what we’ve experienced in the past -- the “ditch” we already fell into, the bruises earned in our last encounter with an immovable object (or person), the missed opportunities, the unanticipated crises.
I’ve heard this called “living life through the rear-view mirror.”
The sad thing about living looking behind me is that too often I miss the chance to create something new, meet someone new, become someone new.
Yes, there were glorious sunsets in my past and impressive achievements that I’m proud of: it’s not all ditches and lamp posts. However, if I want to experience new breath-taking vistas and climb new learning curves to the very peak, I have to face forward and turn on my internal navigation system.
It’s become a daily practice to first feel grateful for where my path has taken me so far, and then turn and face forward into the day, holding a vision of where I’ve yet to travel and who I’ve yet to become.
If each day begins to look pretty much identical to the one before it, it may be time to tuck your past in and give it a tender kiss goodnight. All that came before right now is the perfect preparation for whatever grand adventures you turn around and embrace.
A reminder to myself today…. to TURN AROUND.
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