Looking back can be painful, and paralyzing if we only look backwards. It might even make your neck sore. Ouch!
It can be paralyzing because we are only thinking about what has already happened. Quite often when we focus on things that have already happened, we replay the emotions that we experienced when something happened from then.
Or we look back with regret and put so many negative thoughts and feelings on ourselves. We can punish ourselves by thinking we should have done something different, made a different choice, or many other things.
That is so negative and can be so destructive. And also put your body through additional physical and emotional stress that could be very unhealthy.
But looking back with the right goal can be helpful and healing. There is great wisdom in learning from what we have been through in our lives.
But we cannot only look back. We must continue to look ahead. Only looking back puts us in a specific mindset. It might be grief, pain, despair, regret, sorrow, anger, sadness, or many other emotions that hold us back.
Looking forward might bring on so many other emotions. I have seen in my life that looking back and seeing where I have come from, only leads me to turn my head and choose to look forward. I know where I have come from, but I long to use that to push me to move forward and grasp what lies ahead.
In my last post, The Future-It’s Always in Front of Us, I focused on the future. And what challenges I have when facing the future. I struggle with having a clear vision for the future. I also struggle with dreaming big enough for my future.
But I know that if I were still looking at the things behind me, I would struggle. Things like, mistakes I had made, how people had treated me, how I reacted to different situations and opportunities I felt I had missed out on. If I were still looking at these things, I would have no hope to have aspirations and dreams for the future.
I would also miss out on what is happening now in the present.
Some days I will grasp the future with more determination or joy than others. But that does not diminish how important it is. Or reduce the necessity of embracing the future.
There is so much to learn, understand, see, experience, know, touch, and walk through when we look forward. The options are endless and the road is not determined yet.
What about you friend? What direction do you look in? Forwards or backwards?
Maybe you haven’t really thought about it in this way before. What do you think?
God created our necks to face forward, not backward. Unless you are in a horror movie and the neck is doing something unnatural. If that is the case, I think you have more problems to worry about.
Friend, I am praying for you as you learn lessons from your past but choose to have the courage to look forward in to the future.
Comment below about any suggestions you have about looking forward or anything else. I would really like to hear your thoughts. Shoot me a personal message through the contact form on the site. I would love it if you like this enough to share it with others. Please SUBSCRIBE in the box above, it helps you know more of what’s going on.
Melodee Glassford 