Do you ever look back? Not the nostalgia looking back and reminiscing… nor the ‘if I only knew’ looking back. The looking back, momentarily, to see where you were and the path you took to get where you are. Are you ever surprised? Most of us are but it isn’t always a negative surprise. And as you look back you can see what events and decisions you made that got you where you are. Some good. Some bad…
Another way of phrasing this is: are you a mindless interactor with your life or a proactive director? I realize that could sound harsh but all of us have met people that seem to meander through life. I do not recommend it. You may not experience many ‘losses’ but you also can’t take credit for the successes. There is another way… stopping, occasionally, to see not only what decisions you made that got you to where you are now but the impacting forces and influences that occurred, especially the influences. Is there a pattern?
There’s a saying that you can never go back. Not sure why unless you expect the people and place to have not changed – that would never happen. But… you can return and rediscover. The same idea holds in looking back – you can look back to see what was happening around you and in you. Not to retrace or ‘undo’ but to understand. If you discern patterns of people or people-types or situations then, if successful, you can apply or, if unsuccessful, develop new ways of responding. It will not be the same but it can be similar.
Looking back can be extremely self revealing because it displays to you all of you: your who, your why. It doesn’t need to be self irritating because you made the ‘wrong’ decision. It doesn’t need to be embarrassing, you’re the only one who is involved. It can also be self affirming when you concur, now, with what you did and why. And it can be self actualizing as you see how you handled yourself in the midst of stress and success.
…but what do you think?
