The perks of looking back at the past
We know that being preoccupied with the past and the future are a recipe for anxiety, fear, regret, guilt, anger and sadness as they keep us bound up in things that have already happened (and that we therefore can’t change) or things that might happen in the future (that we really have no control over anyway). It’s important that, as much as we can remember, we have the intention to be in the now, however it currently looks for us. This very moment is truly all there is. Our concepts of time are just that, concepts, and everything that has, does and will exist, will only every happen in the present moment.
That said, when we are on a journey towards greater understanding of ourselves, whether you consider this to be spiritual, psychological or just general self-development, it’s important to take stock of how far we have come. We can get so caught up in how much of ourselves still needs “improvement” or how “we’ve still go so far to go”, that we tend to forget just how far we’ve come. Tiny things like the subsiding of road rage, more patience with someone whose quirks are *ahem* really annoying or just a general feeling of greater periods where the feathers don’t get ruffled quite so easily. It could be bigger things too, like completely subsided feelings of anxiety in certain areas, or complete lifestyle/diet/relationship/career overhauls that we once thought were impossible for us. These are the things that are important to reflect on so that we can say, yes, see I am evolving, and look how much!
It’s very easy to get caught up in how far there is to go. As though we’re climbing a mountain and only ever looking up at the steep incline ahead of us, without ever bothering to take a look below, at the immense ground we’ve covered. When we can acknowledge that we have made gains, this makes it all the more easier to continue our progress. If you’re on this path of self-development and understanding, you’ll appreciate that at times it can be very revealing and tough, and we can wonder why we even bothered to take a look under the hood in the first place.
So, I would like to invite you to have a little reflection on how far you have come in the last day, week, month or even year. What can you congratulate yourself on? What hurdles have you overcome? If you fancy, feel free to share your proud wins with me - I’d love to hear them!