Found something perfect today....

It was a quote "you can't start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one". This couldn't have come at a more perfect time for me.

See, last night I was searching for something for Brian, and as I was going through a box of papers and other items that need to be filed, I came across some emails that I had printed out from very early in 2009. Of course, reminiscing, I took the time to read the emails, and wow, they were painful to read. No, I'm not going to share the specific details of what was contained in them, but suffice it to say it brought back some very painful memories for me.

But the thing is, those emails are from the past - a past that is very different from what my present life is. Based on those emails, I would never have dreamed at the time that my life would be like it is today.

Anyways, my point in this is to say that we can't live our lives today, if we keep dwelling in the past. We do need to pay attention to our pasts and learn from them - learn what worked, and what didn't, regardless of the situations we've been through, whether it's relationships, jobs, friendships, etc.

We go through life, hopefully learning from our experiences, so that we may grow and become better people. If you stay stuck on the past, whether it's the pain of a failed relationship, the frustration of being wronged in some way by a friend or partner or even if it's to bask in the glory of past accomplishments - you're still living in the past and it's getting you nowhere for the future. Find the appropriate place for those memories and experiences, learn from them, and leave them. Don't dwell on them.

I know it's hard to move on - I have a very hard time forgiving people and forgetting the wrongs that have been committed against me. I also have a hard time moving on from the good things that have happened, and expect things to be as easy as they were in the past. I realistically know that life is different now, for better or for worse, but it's difficult at times to move on. It's hard to leave the past in the past, but it's something we all must do.

Focus on the present and look to the future!