Journey: Week Eight

Stop berating yourself for old mistakes.

“ We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us. We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future. Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.”

It didn't take me long to learn that the only thing I have the possibility to mold is my future. The past isn’t going anywhere but further away and what I do in the here and now is what matters. That said, it is WAY easier said than done.

I spoke about being stuck in the past two weeks ago and that is still the hardest theme I’ve faced in this journey so far; this week being a close second. I've always prided myself with having enough instinct, common sense, intelligence, (whatever it is you want to call it) to do my best to keep my eyes looking forward through this roller coaster of a life. At the same time, I’m not sure I really had a choice to look back if I wanted to. When I found out I was pregnant, I had to look forward. When I became a single mother, I had to look forward. Even now as I work and am in school, I have to look forward.

I can’t say that I’ve fully let go or fully forgiven myself for some of my past mistakes—but I can say with certainty that I learned from each and every one. I am who I am today because of them and I don’t think I’d change “me” for the world. So, on to tomorrow and the next adventure…

If you're reading about my Journey the first time and are wondering what the heck I'm talking about, click here. :o)