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FOOD
FOR THOUGHT
Editorials by Robert Kirwan |
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You
Can’t See Where You Are Going If You Are Always
Looking Behind…
One day,
many years ago, I was standing in the hallway at a local
elementary school watching a teacher bring her class to
the gym when I overheard the most philosophical question
I have ever encountered in my life.
One of the
students was looking back at something and bumped into
the teacher who starred down at the child and said,
“How are you ever going to see where you’re going if
you’re always looking behind?”
I
don’t know how many times over the years I have
recalled that moment in the hallway. “How are you ever
going to see where you are going if you are always
looking behind?”
It is
such a simple question. For example, everyone knows that
you must watch “where you are going” when driving a
car; walking along the street; or in a line-up at the
grocery store. It only makes sense unless you want to
bump into everything in your path.
Nevertheless,
how many times have you avoided doing something you
really wanted to do in your life simply because you
“looked behind” and saw that you either failed at it
before, or were afraid of making a mistake that you once
made in the past, or you thought that people would hold
your past reputation against you? Let’s face it! We
have all been there! Each and every one of us can pick
out at least one “regret” in our life. At least one
thing that we really wanted to do, but our “past
experiences, fears or reputation” forced us to forgo
that dream.
I’ve
kicked myself so many times in my life for “looking
behind”. Now, every time I catch myself doing it, I
remember the day in the hallway when that teacher gave
me the greatest lesson about living I have ever heard.
“How are you ever going to see where you are going if
you are always looking behind?”
There
is absolutely no question that we’ve all done things
in the past of which we are not proud. We’ve all done
things and said things that we wish we could take back.
Unfortunately, what is done is done. You can’t turn
back the clock. You can’t “undo things you have
done” or “take back anything you have said”. All
you can do is “look ahead” and make sure that you do
and say things today that will take you where you want
to go tomorrow.
You
have to look ahead in order to see where you are going.
You know where you’ve been in the past. You know from
where you have come. If you are not proud of where
you’ve been, if you are afraid your reputation will
come back to haunt you, just make sure you don’t make
the same mistakes today and go forward with your life as
if it is a new beginning. People are very forgiving and
will allow you to make a new start. They will even give
you support and encouragement when they know you are
trying to make things right.
Perhaps
the only thing worse than “looking behind” yourself,
is when other people are always “looking behind” for
you. When people are always bringing up your “past”
and preventing you from moving forward. These are the
“dream killers” who deep down are either jealous of
their own failures in life or who get their personal
satisfactions from destroying the self-esteem and
ambition of those around them.
Don’t
allow these “dream killers” to get you down. Refuse
to look behind at your past. Refuse to acknowledge the
attempts of others to put you down because of past
mistakes that you may have made and for which you
regret. And for goodness sake, please don’t ever
become a “dream-killer” yourself. Don’t fall into
the habit of judging a person by mistakes he or she has
made in the past. Look instead at what the person is
doing today. Look instead at where the person is heading
and help that person “look ahead”. Help that person
stay focused on the path that lies ahead.
After
all, if everyone believed that as soon as you make one
mistake in your life or as soon as you do one thing you
regret your life is over, where would this world be?
Life is nothing more than a series of experiences. Some
are good. Some are bad. Some of which we are proud. Some
of which we are ashamed. However, one thing is for
certain – “You can’t see where you are going if
you are always looking behind!”
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