We spend a lot of time thinking about our past and the experiences we have had. But do we spend enough time thinking about what we learned from those experiences and how we can use that knowledge to move us forward? Many people spend so much time longing over the past, they aren’t really living in the present. It used to be that our past was a good predictor of our future, but a great deal of work is being done to encourage people to change their thinking and start looking to their future, in spite of their past. While we can learn a lot about ourselves by looking back, there is much more excitement in the unknown and the possibility of our futures.
When Your Past Can Help You
As we grow older, we tend to look back at our accomplishments and our achievements as a sign that we have done well in life. In business, a good indicator of success is how much success you had previously. We are always talking about how we should learn from our mistakes and our successes to drive our futures. And in many aspects of life, looking at what worked previously can help us move forward. For instance, a friend of mine was in an automobile accident two years ago that has left her fearful of driving. She cannot get past what happened to her that day. Instead of thinking of the thousands of other times she got in the car and nothing happened, she is dwelling on the one time something went wrong, and it is not helping her move forward. So while looking back could help her to overcome this incident, she is choosing to focus on the negativity of it all.
When We Choose to Look Forward Despite Our Past
Something amazing happens to us when we decide that the person we used to be is not the person we are going to be anymore. It is probably the most empowering experience a human being can have: imagine, just letting go of what you used to do and do something different. It’s scary and freeing all at the same time. Just because you used to be afraid to drive a car, does not mean you have to remain afraid. Just because you used to make very little money, does not mean you have to continue to make very little money. When we decide that what used to work is not working anymore, we can start to inflict real change in our lives. When we decide that our past does not dictate our future, as we have believed without question for many years, we allow ourselves to be opened up to new possibilities.
Over the last several years, a new term has come about for describing businesses that aren’t doing things “they way it’s always been done” – this term is called disruptive. Disruptive means you don’t look to the gray haired old men who used to run this industry, and you start making your own path toward a different future. Think about what happens in our lives when we decide that what was good enough before, is not good enough anymore. That is the kind of thinking that will propel you into your future, whatever you want it to be.
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