Look where you’re going, not where you’ve been.
SHAKING THE TREE #150
Plans are AWESOME!
Goals you can get behind ROCK!
Action you can take to get you to where you want to go is STELLAR!
The future can be bright—IF you keep your eye on it.
So why let any of this suffer at the expense of the past?
At some point we've all screwed up.
We’ve all lost our shit.
Or done or said something stupid and inappropriate at an inopportune time.
Maybe we've embarrassed ourselves or someone we care about into the bargain?
Maybe we let ourselves or someone else down?
I’m guilty of all these things.
The trick lies in not beating ourselves up about our mistakes.
By constantly reliving our misdeeds and regrets, we create a series of miniature hell loops that can drag us down and keep us mired in a life of endless doom.
Throw in guilt, shame, and blame—either own own or someone else’s—and add alcohol and/or drugs to take the edge off and you’re heading into some dark places.
While it's important to acknowledge and own our mistakes and our experiences, by only focusing on the negatives, we hurt ourselves all over again, and in doing so, we’re hindering our current growth and happiness.
Instead, we need to shift our perspective and look forward towards our goals.
Looking forward offers several benefits:
Motivation: When we focus on our goals, we're more motivated to take action. We have a clear vision of where we want to be, which can inspire us to overcome obstacles and persevere.
Instead of looking back, when we look forward to what's possible we craft a more positive mindset. We focus on the opportunities ahead and the potential for a brighter future.
Growth: Looking forward encourages us to learn from our past mistakes and apply that knowledge to our future endeavors. Instead of using negative experiences as stumbling blocks, why not use them as stepping stones?
Resilience: Life is full of challenges, but by looking forward, we can develop greater resilience. We learn to bounce back from setbacks and keep moving towards our goals.
It's important to note that looking forward doesn't mean ignoring the past.
We need to acknowledge our experiences and own them. But what we must not do is let them control us because if we do, we lose our forward-thinking perspective.
By creating plans and working on them, we improve our skills and our feeling of self worth.
By setting and focusing attainable goals and by embracing the potential for a better future, we create a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
By focusing on what’s possible, we empower ourselves.
So, let’s stop looking back eh? Because that’s not the direction we’re heading in.
As always, thanks for reading.
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P.S. Next time on Shaking the Tree … why you need to keep showing up.