Look Back But Don’t Stay There!

It’s important not to look too much into the past or keep your mind there for too long because you can easily get trapped there.  For example, if you’ve experienced something physically or emotionally painful, your mind may keep recycling those memories thus keeping you in a continuous cycle of the same stress you previously endured. Therefore, it is important that you learn how to separate the past from the present so that you can live a healthy and productive life. However, there are reasons when looking back on the past is beneficial to your future growth.

One reason to look back is to see how far you have come. Sometimes, you might be hard on yourself and get discouraged in life. Reflecting on the past will help you to focus on the progress you have made and the things you have overcome. It will put the present in the right perspective and point you in the direction you need to go. Even if there’s still a long, rough road ahead, looking back on your progress can help you gain the encouragement and motivation you need to get to the finish line.

Reflection on life helps keep your mind open and can even help you to refrain from judging others.  For example, if someone is in an unfortunate position in life, it’s always important to remember that maybe at one time in your own life you were in an unfortunate spot as well.  You may even have been given the third degree by someone and judged on the spot but looking back on certain memories will help you to have empathy for others. Having empathy for others instead of criticism will enable you to help someone who is still dealing with an issue that you have already overcome.

Life is a long and complex journey, and it’s easy to get sidetracked.  If you have been on your journey a long time, you may even forget why you’re still going.  Now is a good time to remind yourself why you decided to take the path you are on and become reinvigorated with the same energy of intention that you had when you started out. Looking back will force you to not only see the positive but the negative events in your life.  However, you can actually use the dark times to create the brightest light.  Ask yourself why the dark times happened and if there is a lesson you can take from your struggle. Make a decision to move forward even stronger. In fact, the secret of many successful people is their ability not only to have made a decision to never quit, but they dig down deep and begin again with more tenacity than ever.

When you travel though life there are always those times when decisions just have to be made and the choices are hard and solutions are scarce. There are some situations where all you can do is simply let go and move on. There could be adventures you never imagined just waiting around the next bend. So keep putting one foot in front of the other and taking life day by day. There’s a brighter tomorrow that is just down the road. Look back but don’t stay there.