Focusing on the many opportunities life holds keeps you moving forward, happily and productively. The future holds the piece of history we are still writing.
Today, we have all the power in the world to change tomorrow. All of your life experiences and perspectives over the years have prepared you for this moment to embark on your journey toward the future.
“Let us not look backward in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.” – James Thurber
Our past like the ex we just can’t let go of – sweet smells, familiar, comfortable.
For some situations, we may find, as time goes on, we tend to idealize the positive and forget all the negative drama happening at the time.
Particularly, in relationships, there can be many loose ends we can’t quite wrap our minds around, making it difficult to forge ahead into new romantic endeavors.
In other cases, we may be unwilling to stop playing a reel of anger and resentment regarding someone from our past to prevent “losing” them or facing the underlying hurt.
We all have nostalgic moments to reminisce, but make sure you’re not stuck facing backward. If you are habitually longing for the past, you should:
- Forgive yourself for past mistakes and work through the guilt. Accept it as part of your journey.
- Forgive others. If you can’t, fake it until you make it. Time will heal your wounds.
- Realize you are not your thoughts. Slow your racing mind and connect with an ocean of calm.
- Look at the choices before you, replacing “I should have” with I will.
- Give yourself some time to grieve, but set some goals for what you will do when this phase ends.
Future possibilities are brimming with excitement
Picture a blank piece of paper before you. Imagine you’re sitting in your car, about to start driving, with no idea where you’re going and no map to get you there.
Is “fear” the first thought that comes to mind? That is a natural reaction… until you understand that uncertainty is your greatest asset.
There are infinite paths ahead of you, so many rewards to grab hold of, untold riches coming your way.
Challenge your assumptions about your limitations – what can or can’t be achieved.
Challenge your ideas about how the world should work and see the world as it actually is. Let go of that “something” that is holding you back.
Instead of thinking of all you don’t want, think of what you do want. Whittle down the overwhelming number of choices to pick a path that suits your talents, interests, and desires.
Make your decision and walk out into the world with your eyes wide open.
Take note of the beauty in where you are at this point in your journey. You are learning, experiencing, adapting, and growing.
Anticipation is rewarding in its own regard
You don’t need to take a vacation to enjoy the rewards of one. Vacationers feel happiest while planning their trips and daydreaming about all they’ll do, according to a 2010 study of more than 1,500 people published in the journal of Applied Research in Quality of Life.
Similarly, a 2007 study by Leaf Van Boven and Laurence Ashworth published in the journal of Experimental Psychology found that students felt happier anticipating their vacation than they felt later reminiscing about the trip.
So immerse yourself in a daydream by reading, watching films, and talking to others about future plans, whether it’s about a vacation, a future career endeavor, a date, a new baby, an impending move, or whatever the case may be.
Keep your mind on the prize of possibilities in life, on dreams of greatness.
Accept the current set of circumstances as they are and set new initiatives, so you can forge ahead with confidence to meet whatever the future holds.
Empowering questions:
- What are the methods that I can employ to help me in letting go of my past experiences?
- How can my day be improved with daily planning?
- How prepared I am to face any circumstances that come in my way?
Finally, don’t underestimate the value of a Coach. If you are grappling with your established business and laboring with lackluster sales, perhaps you should consider working with a Professional Business Growth Coach.
This partnership will empower your professional growth, those of your team, while positively impacting your revenues by 20% or more.
Author: Lisa Morgan Mosley is a Certified Business Growth Coach practicing in the United States and Canada.
https://store.bookbaby.com/book/Expressions-of-Empowerment
https://www.212degreescoaching.com
lisa@212degreescoaching.com
212 Degrees Biz Coaching Blog 