One of my favorite lines from the tv show Vikings happens when Ragnar and his fleet are leaving home. Two boys are watching the shore and Ragnar says, “Don’t waste your time looking back. We’re not going that way.”
Powerful!
Why Looking Back is a Waste of Time
While I actually think it’s a good idea to look back at the old year as it’s moving away, review a dying relationship for learning moments, and just to keep in touch with my roots, habitually looking back is not a great habit.
Why it’s best to let the past go
Playing the “coulda, shoulda, woulda” game over and over doesn’t change the present moment. Yes, do some review and self-correct if you made a mistake, but don’t keep reliving it.We look back at two types of events – those we regret and those we’d love to have again. Regret is a sign that you made a false move. If you take that experience and use it to make your present moment and future better, the past has meaning and purpose. When that happens, there is nothing left to regret. Let it go.Remember Al Bundy from “Married With Children?” All he did was look back at his past when he peaked as a high school football player. That’s a sign that he hasn’t found anything to make him feel that alive now. Take it as a sign that it’s time to switch something up. Your life isn’t over until it’s over.You can’t go back. If you think that returning to your old neighborhood or your old lover will bring back the feelings you had then, you’re probably deluding yourself. Everything changes. You are not the same person. It’s not the same place. Things can only be as they are now.
In reality, this is the only moment there is.
Life is made up of moments. Any moment you are not here is a moment that’s not lived.
Your past is rich with memories, lessons, love, and struggles. You can bring those moments with you and allow them to enrich the present. If you don’t like the present moment, use them to build a future that you enjoy.