Never Look Back
“I never look back, darling. It distracts from the now.” -Edna Mode, The Incredibles.
I’m trying to phase into a new paradigm (for me). I am trying to live in the moment, every moment. So, when I find myself thinking about the past or resting on my laurels or feeling nostalgia or regret, I stop, acknowledge what I was thinking and then do my best to release it. In fact, my release technique is to put the thought item in my hand and then to blow it away with my breath. I then release it out and bring myself back to the now. It’s a super easy way to physicalize letting go of a thought or an emotion. Let the wind take it.
Here’s the thing, though. Sometimes, it works and works brilliantly. Sometimes, it fails miserably and I find myself getting lost in the thoughts and then I get mired in the muck. And I know all the zen and yogic teachings say that you ought to acknowledge where you are and make peace with it. Then, you should lather, rinse, and repeat until you do release it. But it never seems to end up that way for me. I have too little patience for that.
So, the questions I face this morning are, how do I release the thoughts I want to release? Also, if I can’t release them, how do I let myself think through them without judgment? Further, if I keep judging myself, how do I let go of that and come back to myself? Because, honestly, that’s what this is all about for me. I want to be myself, here and now. And I want to walk in this world with peace, serenity, and compassion. If I’m mired, mucked, and stuck in the past, that messes with my calm. Additionally, it keeps from achieving the centered place that will allow me to achieve, produce, and help others.
Lights, Camera, Wisdom!
That’s where Edna Mode comes in. If I want to stay in the now, I have to take her advice. “Never look back.” What’s done is done. What’s said is said. I have to live with it all. And that’s cool. If I’ve done something to upset someone, I’m not going backward if I apologize. In fact, I’m going forward. Because I’m looking toward an evolved and perhaps closer relationship with that person. It will be a relationship that’s based more on truth and is more authentic. And that’s a great thing.
If I didn’t try my hardest or could have done better, I can acknowledge that. And I can use that knowledge to do better next time. The fabulous is thing is that I’ll know more. I’ll be better prepared. And I’ll be that much closer to success. It’s not that I’ve failed. It’s that I’ve cleverly figured out another way that didn’t work. And that means that I’m that much closer to the way that will.
Yesterday’s over. Tomorrow isn’t here yet. The only thing you have is right now. And as Edna says, don’t let anything distract you from it. Because here and now? That’s where you can make the magic!
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