The errors of your past are no place to dwell.
There’s no need to linger in the shadows.
Admit when you are wrong.
Forgive yourself. Forgive others.
Accept what is right here and now.
Simply put, move on.
Know no one is perfect, but learn from your mistakes.
Face it…you can’t change the past.
No use wasting time and energy trying to control what is already done.
Living each moment fully engaged will pave your future;
this is where your power exists.
Be gentle with yourself. Be gentle with others.
Do the best you can each day.
Create peace wherever you travel.
You are not who you were yesterday.
Nor or you who you will be tomorrow.
Focus on love and kindness.
When you refuse to live in yesterday or get lost in the future,
you permit yourself to be present here in this moment;
you allow yourself to walk the path unfolding before you.
Don’t look back to where you’ve been.
Take in everything as you walk on your way.
Keep walking, one step at a time.
Happy traveling.
Living in the Gap
March 7, 2012 – Clouds in the night
Clouds rolled through the night sky like a rolling pin pushing dough out. They pushed out of a large blanket above the tree line, swaying in and out to reshape and regroup as they traveled overhead. A multitude of colors mingled through the clouds; pinkish grey fading to grayish white. An almost full moon skated beneath the turning clouds. Each time the clouds passed over the edges of the moon illuminated as if the clouds were recharging the moon.
At this very moment I am struggling not to linger and to move on. Although I do not think I made a mistake, I am still very puzzled by the outcome. I am working on letting it go.
Also, I am not one that believes in “not looking back”. I believe it is nice to look back at times. I believe that looking back can sometimes help you see how far you have come. Once a student of mine reminded me of that when I was upset about how far I had to go. She said, “Ah, but look how far you have come.” So I looked back and did see that the path I had traveled was long. I might have far to go, but I had made progress.
Living in the Gap: “Clouds rolled through the night sky like a rolling pin pushing dough out.” Love that visual!
By: terrepruitt on March 7, 2012
at 3:43 am
I believe reflection is good for the soul but ruminating can be paralyzing.
By: suzicate on March 7, 2012
at 2:28 pm
Dwelling and not allowing it to let you move forward is when it becomes a problem, right? If you can look and learn or just look and remember that’s ok. It is when it gets you stuck.
By: terrepruitt on March 7, 2012
at 5:17 pm
Exactly.
By: suzicate on March 7, 2012
at 8:16 pm
Amen SC! Great advice. It’s really hard to move forward and let things go sometimes but I think you should only regret what you don’t do!
By: Victoria-writes on March 7, 2012
at 5:35 am
I try to think of consequences before acting to prevent that but I think we all regret things at times…the point is to find peace rather than dwelling in what ifs.
By: suzicate on March 7, 2012
at 2:30 pm
I kinda like what Victoria-writes writes.
Sometimes SC you think you have thought of the concequences but you can’t alway judge how some people will react. People are all shades of crazy. Not that it can cause regret, but it might cause some dwellings on the what ifs and make it hard to let go.
By: terrepruitt on March 7, 2012
at 5:20 pm
We never know how other will react, you’re right about that. And those kind of things can make us dwell. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t dwell on reactions of others at times. I wish I didn’t but sometimes things get to me.
By: suzicate on March 7, 2012
at 8:18 pm
Yeah. But as you said, when you look at the concequenes and you decide to act it probably means you can “stand by” your actions and are not responsible for the other person’s reaction.
People are all shades of crazy!
By: terrepruitt on March 7, 2012
at 9:11 pm
Great advice as usual! Love you!
By: Peg on March 7, 2012
at 7:47 am
LY2!
By: suzicate on March 7, 2012
at 2:30 pm
“Don’t look back to where you’ve been.
Take in everything as you walk on your way.
Keep walking, one step at a time.”
Great advice, although as Terre said sometimes looking back is good. Briefly. Long enough to see how far you’ve come. One step at a time – that’s my mantra these days.
By: Carol on March 7, 2012
at 10:21 am
Like I said to Terre, reflection is good, rumination can paralyze us.
By: suzicate on March 7, 2012
at 2:30 pm
Brilliant post, Suzi!
“When you refuse to live in yesterday or get lost in the future,
you permit yourself to be present here in this moment;
you allow yourself to walk the path unfolding before you.”
And you’re right….this is where our power exists.
Thank you for sharing this awesome reminder, my friend!
X
By: Ron on March 7, 2012
at 10:29 am
We have more power than we think…all because we reach to the places we can’t control!
By: suzicate on March 7, 2012
at 2:31 pm
Thank you for sharing your wisdom today. I’ve known people who refuse to let go of pain they’ve suffered in the past, and they can’t fully enjoy the present that way. What a shame!
By: Debbie on March 7, 2012
at 10:33 am
I know many of those same people!
By: suzicate on March 7, 2012
at 2:31 pm
Clouds rolled through the night sky like a rolling pin pushing dough out. Brilliant and you don’t have to be a baker to see it. The 12 Steps posit that self forgiveness is part of healing. I have never been able to do that and can’t imagine how anyone can except to live in a way from now on wherein making amends need not occur as we no longer offend.
By: Carl D'Agostino on March 7, 2012
at 5:52 pm
Glad you like that visual.
None of us are perfect…will be continue to offend and be offended…it’s simply part of life. It’s what happens after the fact that makes or breaks us so to speak. I know there are circumstances that are very difficult to move on from. The problem is when we are so focused on something we can’t take back or change that we refuse to move on in life…those are often the bitter people in this world.
By: suzicate on March 7, 2012
at 8:21 pm
Since I believe there is purpose to all things, regrets doesn’t have much of a chance to take hold in my life.
I was going through some old love letters last night. They caused me to wonder, what if… That was warning enough to quit playing that game. My spiritual teacher(s) remind me to be accepting and grateful for all I have now.
Thankfully that gives me a positive attitude and life.
By: souldipper on March 8, 2012
at 12:20 am
You have such a wonderful attitude and are so wise, Amy. I try, but I must admit some situations get the best of me until I can calm myself through to acceptance.
By: suzicate on March 8, 2012
at 1:08 pm
Oh how I wish I could take these words and imprint them in the minds of a few family members right now! Wise, wise words.
By: Lisa on March 8, 2012
at 12:42 pm
Oh, how I do as well…but people who need it most wouldn’t get it if you hammered it in their heads! I have some of those in my life as well!
By: suzicate on March 8, 2012
at 1:16 pm