If the future holds so many opportunities, why do so many people hesitate to let go of the past? Just as bad, why can't people stop obsessively looking towards the future?

I'm guilty of looking back on memories and trying to change everything in my head. What if I had said X,Y and Z to this person? What if instead of taking this job, I took the other?

Then once I am done looking backward, I start looking forward. Will I be able to travel the world? When am I going to get married? How many children am I going to have?

We all need to take a break and pause. Digest your surroundings and think about where you are now.

It's easy to get caught up in where you've been and also to get caught up in where you are going to be. However, there is nothing more peaceful than when you just step back and be. We often miss some of the most loveliest things in life simply because we are trying desperately to move backwards and forwards. However, what about what is where you are standing now?

As much as it's a cliche, stop and smell the roses. Don't focus on what you've done because the past is already over. Don't worry about what will happen because in order to control the future, you have to control your present. Take a trip to New York City or wherever the busiest city is around by you. Sit down on a park bench and just people watch for an hour. Everybody is in such a rush and does not even bother to notice the little things. Either that or they are cursing themselves for not leaving earlier, stopping for coffee, or taking the wrong train. When you see those people, stop them and give them a compliment. Not only will that probably make their day, it will also allow them to zero in on what is going on around them.

If you are busy looking backward or forward you lose the whole path of life. Life does not occur in the past or in the future. Life is busy occurring around us right now. Learn from your past and look forward to a bright future, but don't forget to stop and look around.