Let the Past Flow through Your Fingers...

I once held many thoughts as gold within my hands - more precious than the air that I breathed, watching my accomplishments shine - rivaling the sun with their brilliance…

I hid behind them – holding them up to the world – to hide my shortcomings and inadequacies.

While we all face distractions and disappointments throughout our lives, holding onto what “once was” rather than reaching out for “what could be” is a recipe for disaster.  Things once held as valuable slip from our grasp as we grow older.  A bright and shining future put on hold because of “global competition” (or even our reactions to a global pandemic).  A secure job ripped from us by the economy.  A relationship tarnished by an unanticipated action (or an uncontrolled reaction) when individuals involved are unwilling to forgive.  Life happens…how we react to it can either advance or stagnate our existence – can either propel us towards new heights or drag us down to inescapable depths.

I reached out blindly, searching desperately for and grasping onto what once was but shall never be again…

My memories become as but water running through my hands - unable to be contained as they flowed through my fingers…

My memories provided but a flickering light within my darkened world – a dim presence incapable of providing the fire that once filled me – a diminished warmth that could not provide comfort within my new reality.

We can become absorbed by “what used to be” rather than seeking out “what is” or “what could be” when we live in the past.  Far too many individuals seek comfort in the belief that they will “be called back to work shortly” rather than seeking a new beginning or that “things are bound to change” rather than initiating actions that will make change happen.  We destine ourselves to failure (along with those around us) when we establish our value within the things we once did that were successful rather than in what might be accomplished from this point forward – when we create our identity from “what we were” rather than “who we are,” from what others might believe us to be rather than what we might truly become if we only believed more in ourselves.  Seeking comfort in what once was may not be a fatal flaw – but finding shelter from our present reality within the confines of the past will prevent us from ever reaching our full potential.

Life has but birth as a beginning and death as an end - forcing us to travel upon the borders of an endless circle of circumstance as we seek meaning to the existence flowing through our fingers…

We must build upon (rather than clinging to) our accomplishments if we are to identify possibilities not yet realized…to realize dreams not yet imagined...

We must recognize the security our past once provided is gone as it flows through our hands like a river’s water into a never-ending sea as we focus upon the pool it forms rather than the place from which it has come...

Though our parents and grandparents may have found security within the four walls of one company or had one home their whole life, few of us will experience life without unexpected or unplanned change – with change being the only certainty in life.  We must prepare for change and plan on how we will deal with it rather than waiting for it to overtake us, forcing us to deal with the burden of unexpected transition.  People anticipating change intentionally set their course knowing that much time will pass and many considerations will flow through their fingers before one’s path has been paved or one’s future has been temporarily solidified. 

We must sail into the unknown horizon leading those willing to follow as we allow those not yet willing to let go of their past the opportunity to realize their potential…

We must open our hands to let go of all that has been so we have room within our grasp for what has yet to be or we shall never become more than what we have accomplished upon this earth we call home...

Since you cannot hold back the waters as they flow through your hands – hold onto the hope that your dreams provide.  Maximize the potential of that hope by preparing yourself to handle change as it enters your life.  Gain knowledge through lifelong education and training – then utilize it through intentional application.  Learn how to lead and motivate others so you can transform your individual actions into a group’s concerted activity to maximize results.  Most importantly, act intentionally (rather than waiting passively for others to act) so you can make a difference in your life and become a major part of life’s differences in the world around you (rather than dust carried about aimlessly by the wind).  If one seeks the future it will be found – but only if he or she is not grasping so tightly to the past that there is no room in their current (or emerging) reality in which that which has yet to be realized can take root and thrive.  Allow the past to flow through your fingers so that your hands – reaching out to bring reality to your thoughts and dreams – can take the intentional action necessary for your future to grow.

STEPPING BEYOND YOUR BOUNDARIES

What forms a boundary for you?  Is it your life experience?  Things you did (or did not do) as a child?  Perhaps you have too much respect and reverence for the past...having become so comfortable with things the way they are that you feel no need (or desire) to change.  Might fear of the unknown keep you from traveling an unfamiliar path or seeking a new direction?  Are you holding yourself back from fully contributing to your world by immersing yourself in all you have (OR have done) – content with “what is” at the expense of being able to experience “what could be?”  Whatever reasons you may have – be they real or imagined – one must continue to learn and apply knowledge to new and often never before imagined situations within today’s world unless you would choose to wither and die.  Waiting for life to come to us is no longer an option - we must constantly seek the outer limits of our self-imposed boundaries if we are to taste success (accomplishment and fulfillment) in today’s highly competitive world.  Should we choose not to stretch we become obstacles sitting idly in the way of others as they move forward – roadblocks in the path of another’s success – becoming insignificant observers that sit silently and blindly watch the world go by. 

How can we inject fresh perspective into the things we do, the thoughts we think, and the way we approach the future?  How can you recognize that “what is” may not always be – that something different (sometimes ANYTHING different) might be an appropriate course of action to intentionally take?  Living within one’s past is like sitting on the couch tightly wrapped in a blanket – comfortably remaining dormant in a relaxed state of satisfaction content to live in a world that can be seen, felt and predictably experienced.  Rather than settling for a life of recycled accomplishments and recreated past adventures would life not be more rewarding if we were to climb to heights not yet imagined and reach for the stars – to cross the lines we mentally draw in the sand and move forward towards new adventures and accomplishments not yet realized?  Unless (and until) we DO things differently we can never expect to EXPERIENCE different results.

Far too many people hide behind a sense of tradition, heritage or established methodology rather than seeking new possibilities – settling for what they feel they have always done or been rather than building upon their present existence to become a truly unique individual.  Traditions, basic values and experiential learning should be rich and valuable reminders of where we have been and what we have accomplished but should not become the destination we seek as an end goal nor an excuse to keep us from reaching beyond our achieved reality.  Recognizing and valuing the past is a good thing.  Grasping onto or hiding behind our past to the point that we cannot move beyond it for fear of losing what has already been accomplished prohibits us from trying anything and our inability to go forward becomes a detriment to our future success.

When one takes more pride in what has been accomplished or accumulated – in where they come from than in who they are – they risk becoming disconnected with their true potential, losing the ability to capture the winds of change within their sails.  When one holds tightly onto the past OR relives their past accomplishments there is little room left to create a new “present” and their expectations become more accommodating (what has been) than assimilating (what has yet to be realized).  Rather than seeking new ways to utilize their gifts they rarely venture out to experience the unknown (and are afraid to learn from failing) and become an impediment to change instead of a contributor to incremental growth.  When one expects more than they can ever hope to accomplish – when they seek more than they know they deserve – when they contribute more than they believe they will receive in return – that individual has stepped beyond the boundaries that limit them in this reality into a world of possibilities having no ceiling and no floor.  When one gives fully without expectation or condition of receiving it allows that person to escape their dark and dying past and enter into a potentially bright future.

We should not judge our lives by the number of “completions” we experience but rather by the number of “starts” we initiate.  We should not seek glory only in finishing the race for there are unlimited opportunities for growth, new experiences and alternative destinations that we might find along the way IF we are not so locked into our past that we cannot imagine a future.  When the known or  “traditional way of doing things” is the only one that is considered we limit our chances of discovery – of innovation – of new tomorrows rising from the ashes of today. 

Recognize that what you have accomplished is valuable as a foundation from which you can sail into the future and achieve things that have never been done (rather than allowing your past successes to become an anchor holding you safely within a sheltered harbor but keeping you from realizing the heights you were destined to reach).  Do not limit yourself by establishing today as a destination – leverage what you have done and accomplished as a springboard into an unknown world filled with possibilities.   Learn from your past so you might gain strength and confidence within your present while preparing to leap forward into a future of unlimited possibilities.  Seek to stretch and expand your boundaries in everything that you do and you will come to realize how much more is possible than you ever thought probable...you will grow to be someone you never believed could be real...as you realize the possibilities that will become reality only when you recognize and step beyond your artificial boundaries by seeking new horizons.