Looking back at the past gives us a wide range of emotions. Sometimes, it is nice to reflect on happy moments in life such as birthdays, awards, vacations, and other huge milestones in our lives. But sometimes we catch ourselves reflecting on moments we don't necessarily want to remember, our failures. We seem to be stuck in the past, blaming ourselves for what had gone wrong and what we could have done differently back then. The purpose of what I am going to share with you is to give you a broader range of perspective.
Yes, failure is hard to accept, but sometimes we need to just let things go. Don't beat yourself up over bombing a test a few weeks ago. Study harder this time and succeed in the future. Don't get down because someone broke your heart. Now you know what you do not want this time. Things happen for a reason and better things are coming your way in the future. Learn from these mistakes, don't turn these feelings into guilt.
One thing I remember being told when I was younger was, "you always have something to look forward to." I didn't quite understand what this meant at first, but over the years I began to understand what these 8 words really meant. These 8 words have affected my way of thinking for a few years now and I would like to share this way of thinking with you.
Think about the next few months coming up, there must be something you are looking forward to. Maybe it is a nice dinner with friends? Maybe even a new movie is coming out that you are just dying to see? Or if you're in college, maybe you are excited about going home for the holidays. For me, I know I have so much to look forward to. There is a UF game day this weekend, I am going to Busch Gardens this month, and I'm going home at the end of September to see my family. These are all things that make me smile ear to ear just thinking about. If you think about what you're excited for in the future, you will be on the right track moving forward in life.
I have definitely learned how to move forward in life by taking this advice. I am no longer caught up about the time I didn't win the XYZ award, or when I made a simple mistake and bombed a test. I have also dealt with the death of relatives. This is a hard thing to move on from, but my advice is to look around you. You have friends and family supporting you everywhere. My best friends mean the world to me and when life gets tough, I pull my friends in closer for their help and support. Build a support system. Have faith in your friends. Friends and family are there to pick you up when you fall. Most importantly, they are their to push you forward when you are stuck in the past. I know what I'm saying sounds cliche, but the first step to moving forward is to change your way of thinking. What do you have to look forward to this month?
