A Prisoner Of Your Past

Every single one of us make mistakes in life. Fact! Several times we make decisions in our life which we later regret, and in hindsight, we wish we hadn't have made them at all. Having said that, a lot of these mistakes have led us on a different path in life, and we have perhaps received blessings and rewards we may never have obtained, had it not been for making those wrong decisions in the first place, that is at least if we choose to view it in such a positive frame of mind. Many people fail to view it in such a way however, and they simply cannot let go of these poor or incorrect decisions, and move on with their life. Perhaps there have been decisions that others have made, that we reflect on, which have negatively impacted us, and we cannot let go of, such as a relationship/marital split, or a manager firing us from our job. It's unfortunate that so many of us hold on to these decisions and circumstances, and we either never learn to forgive ourselves, or we never forgive those who hurt us. The images of these moments regularly flash through our mind, as we continually run through different scenarios of how we should have handled the situation or moment better, or what we should have said, written, or done different. If only we had our time over again, hey? Regret may even come off the back of non-decisions, passing up opportunities that could have transformed our life for the better. One of the biggest regrets that people have, when on their death bed, is that they failed to spend more time with the people they love; their family, their children, their parents, their friends, and their partner. Many spend their life too wrapped up and overcommitted to their work and other commitments, that they end up sacrificing such valuable and precious time with their loved ones, when their loved ones should've taken priority. Some people even hold on to the past because they reflect on all the happy memories, all the good times, and all the fun they had, in comparison to their current life, which has become void of such happiness and enjoyment. They become sad and depressed over missing their past.

No matter how hard we try, no matter how much we yearn, no matter how much we spend time reflecting on it, we can neither change the past, nor return to it. Personally, I would love to go back to the mid 1990's and start my life over again, as I enjoyed much of my late teens and twenties, but I also made some foolish mistakes in that time, that I would love to rectify. The truth is, I can't, so why would I want to spend valuable energy and thought on it, when that time is done? Holding on to the past is one of those success killers in life, along with fear and doubt. We, too often, allow the events, decisions, and outcomes, of our past, to dictate our mindset, and negatively influence our behavior and decision making, and in doing so, it quite often ends up costing us success and happiness in our future. Just because someone cheated on us in the past, doesn't mean that every other potential partner we meet, will also cheat on us. This trust issue may then deny us the opportunity of sharing a relationship with someone who was perfect for us, who is completely faithful, loving, and supportive. Just because we invested money in an opportunity which failed previously, doesn't mean the next opportunity isn't worth the risk to invest in, as it may produce substantial rewards. Just because we didn't start a business in our twenties, when we were younger and had the perfect opportunity, doesn't mean we still can't start a business in our forties, fifties, or even beyond that age. Repeat these words in your head until the message sinks in "I can't change the past, I have no control over the past".

Once again, it all comes back to what we can and can't control. We can't control or change our past, but we are in control of the present and shaping our future. Regrets are normal, every single one us have them in some shape or form, as we are all human, and we all make mistakes, but don't let them define you, or allow them to dictate your future. Delete the thought of believing that your best years are behind you, because for all you know, the best maybe yet to come. Life is meant to be about discovering happiness, striving for greatness and success, and helping out our fellow man and woman. Change your thinking, and change your attitude. Accept the past has gone, accept you cannot go back in time, forgive yourself for the mistakes you have made, forgive those who transgressed against you, let go of the past, and once you have done that, direct your mindset wholeheartedly to what you desire for your future. Until you can do these things, you will continue living a life void of happiness, success, and fulfillment, and no one deserves that. Use the mistakes of your past as your story, as you stand there relishing in success in the future, reflecting on all the pain, hardship, suffering, and hurt, you went through from your errors, or from those who did wrong by you, and how you have managed to overcome all of it, to go on and achieve glory. Don't become a prisoner of your past, but instead, become a founder of your future!

#Monday #MondayMotivation #motivation #quote #past #prisoner #regret #decisions #reflection #mistakes #errors #future #mindset #focus #control #happiness #success #fulfillment #greatness #think #attitude #behavior #time #MoveOn #change #founder #WindOfChangeNow