Living Now While Preserving the Past
I have learned to respect the past. However, I try not to look over my shoulder at dreams that did not come true. I instead like to aim the compass of my life in a positive direction, knowing it is much more exciting to create something beautiful than trying to prevent a failure.
I try to accept the past, and understand that anything that has “happened” must have had some kind of meaning or grand purpose. However, today is the culmination of everything that has happened until now. Likewise, it is what we do today that defines our tomorrows. Would you agree that you are who you are because of everything that has happened until this very moment?
I have an old locket that opens with a picture of my adoptive mother holding me as an infant. It is one of my great possessions. With every glance, I remember how I was loved. I cannot turn it into money, but it makes me feel I am one of the wealthiest persons on earth. The greatest gift is a wonderful memory. Great memories linger in your mind forever.
My overarching thought is that although we must have reverence for the past, life only exists now, in the moment one is reading this. If you must look over your shoulder, just remember that someone loved you. Then look forward, and enjoy the wondrous journey we called living.