We Can Only Go Forward

The past is over. It's gone. There is nothing we can do about it. But we do have right now and a future to look forward to.

I was inspired last night while I was watching the TV show Switched At Birth. Daphne, one of the main characters, had been making poor choices and is now faced with some major consequences. While she was wallowing, her mother told her that there is no going back. Only forward.

I think it's safe to say that everyone is aware of this. They know they can't go back in the past and undo or redo anything. Yet, people often say "should've, would've, could've". This makes me believe that people cognitively understand this saying but they are not truly grasping the significance of it.

So we can't go back in time. But we can go forward. Really let that previous sentence resonate with you. We can go forward. We do have second chances. All the time. We can correct the mistakes we have made. We can start right now so that we can have a better future to look forward to. That's incredible. Almost magical.  

I also lived with regrets. Here is an example. In high school I was a very reserved, introverted, awkward girl. I didn't have a big social life. Later in my life, I found friends with similar interests to my own. Now, I have a lot of fun. Well, what I consider fun. I use to think back to my high school days and regret not living it to the fullest. I see it differently now though. I lived my high school life the way I did because I had to learn, grown and discover. Now I have fun almost every day! Why would I regret that?

I have another example. Up until a couple of years ago I did not harness my talents. When I started drawing again, I wondered how good I would be now if I did. But what really matters is that I'm drawing now. I can even see a difference in my ability over the past few months. Imagine how good I will be in 5, 10, 20 years from now? It doesn't matter that I didn't draw 5 years ago. What matters is I'm drawing now.

Always remember that the past happened for a reason. You might never understand the reason but I promise that there is a valuable lesson to take from it. If you have regret, make a difference now. If you done someone wrong in the past, become a better person now. If you regret not taking singing lessons back then, register for them now. And please. Stop living in the past. It will take you from now, leave you with more regrets, and make you miserable.

Be the change.

Hope this blog finds you well. Thanks for reading.

Ang