As vintage lovers, we spend much of our time looking backwards.
Backwards into the history of pieces we love, romantic, nostalgic versions of the past. We live for a great part, in our memories. It is habit forming and perhaps not the best of activities for those wanting to bring about change in their lives.
During my usual Pinterest rounds, I came across this;
It was then that the penny dropped. I have stopped looking back.
So much of my past has defined me as I’ve gone forward in life. The words in your head, the things people have said you are or are not, the mistakes you’ve made and those chances you wish you’d taken. One of the sayings I hate most in life is “You’ve made your bed, now lie in it.” Which to me translates as, “You made things this way now you have to put up with it, forever!”
Nope. That is about as defeatist as you can get.
How about remembering who is master of their own destiny, the only one who has the power to change anything, the one who has the power to change by starting with their own mind. This is why I believe we need to be much more cautious in looking backwards.
Instead it is time to use your imagination, tap into your creativity and imagine a future where things are as you wish them. Begin from the point that is now, with all the lessons you’ve learnt, the skills and talents you have, and then start to build.
As I’ve been going through this massive process of culling all my belongings, I’ve become very aware just how much stuff holds a type of security for me. Reminders in memories of things I haven’t yet achieved, projects left unfinished stop me from moving on to new goals. What a waste of space and a waste of a perfectly promise filled future; that is why it is suddenly so easy to let it all go.
2015 is my Year of Living Bravely, of moving forward and taking new adventures that have so far only lived in my mind. There are no do-overs, and looking backwards will only keep you behind the starting line.
Let’s change our habit together, stop looking over our shoulders and instead, out at the sky.
Well said. That is why I am doing my 39 new experiences challenge before 40 (my 40th bday). It was hard to think of 39 new things I haven’t done and wanted to do. That made me realize how much I have done which was neat, but it also reminded me how important it is to keep moving forward and keep dreaming and like you said, having adventures! xox
Daffny: That’s a great idea! I was asked the other day about where I most want to go in the world right now, and I realised I didn’t know. I’ve enjoyed so many things on my list, but it is time to tackle the bigs ones and find new dreams along the way. Will you be writing about all your 39 adventures?