“See, when you drive home today, you’ve got a big windshield on the front of your car. And you’ve got a little bitty rearview mirror. And the reason the windshield is so large and the rearview mirror is so small is because what’s happened in your past is not near as important as what’s in your future.”
Joel Osteen
The way we look at things impacts how we do things. The “objects may appear closer than they are” is noted on the passenger mirror. The mirror is convex and it presents a wider view so the driver does not miss the blind spots on the side of the vehicle. I wanted to bring attention to what may be a blind spot for you. A blind spot is something that is not in your view; it does not have your attention.
Are you viewing your life from a rearview mirror? Are you focused on past mistakes and regrets wishing things could have been different? There is nothing wrong with reflecting on your past memories that are positive. Most people tend to ruminate over the negative events that occurred. There is nothing you can do about the past. It is behind you. You may be wondering why you slip back into thinking about the things that were, am I right? You slip back into the past or old patterns because it was a place of comfort (even it was not comfortable). It may have been predictable or familiar to you. You may even wish you could go back and change something you did or said. What your brain is doing as you move into your future, is attempting to protect you from negative situations in the future.
The reason those painful memories come up is that you may not have given them closure. It can also have to do with the meaning you gave the event. Many people can look at the same scenario and gain a different perspective. Is there any way you may look at a situation differently?
What happened?
What were you feeling at the time?
In what ways, has this impact your life? Both at the time and now?
Can you shift or reframe your perspective to see the situation differently?
How can you empower yourself?
I understand some memories can be more painful than others. The first step is having the awareness of how ruminating over the past is impacting your life. If you find yourself constantly ruminating over past events, you may want to consider seeing a counselor help you move through and process that part of your journey. If you focus too much on your past you are sure to miss the future.
When you shift your viewpoint and look out the windshield in front of you, I hope you see a world of possibility and opportunities to be seized. There are new memories to be created. Take the lessons with you and do not let the past define your future. The windshield is much bigger than your rearview mirror for a reason. Expand your worldview.
Envision what can be. Focus your attention on what you want.
Speak into existence your desired future and you will begin to step into it.