Live Today: A Self-Reflection

As I am the type who spends so much time reflecting, I often wonder about what could have been. What would have happened if I stayed where I was, and never moved? What would have been if I had pursued specific goals more eagerly? What missed opportunities have I had? What mistakes have I made? These times of reflection, while good in a sense, as they allowed me to remember and learn from my past, can also be very detrimental. Dwelling on the past does nothing but fill time. Honor the past, prepare for the future and live in the present.


In reflecting on past times, it is difficult to not feel moments of regret. Thoughts run through my mind that tell me I missed this opportunity, I should have done this, or i messed up on that. Many times, it's just me being hard on myself. I will see the accomplishments of others, and wonder why I haven't done that. Thoughts like these can paralyze people. Dwelling so much on the past corrupts our minds and negates us from preparing for our future and truly living in the present. While it is good to learn from the past, it is crippling to dwell on it. Times of reflection need to be used to learn and honor what we have down, not tear us down so our lives mean nothing. I experienced a small breakdown today as I have just been stuck and feel unable to move forward. It is equivalent to the feeling of having a stagnant business in times of financial peril, or having writer's block when your next big novel is due. Truth is, with time, persistence, hard work and dedication, I will break free and accomplish what is needed.

We must learn to forgive ourselves for the mistakes of the past. We must realize that we are human and can only do so much. We must enjoy our present situation and embrace what we have. Constantly hoping that life will improve and waiting for happiness, is one of the worst things we can do. While I am all about creating for ourselves a better tomorrow, I do not believe we can miss out on all of the good things we have today that we fail to embrace. If I spend an exorbitant amount of my time worrying about what we will do tomorrow, I will miss out on these moments.

Unfortunately, many of us, including myself, spend so much time worried about what we did in our past, or what the future holds, that we miss out on enjoying the good things now. I will leave you with these final statement: 1) The thought of something bad happening is often worse than the occurrence itself. 2) It is called the past for a reason, so get passed it.