Overcoming and Moving Forward

"It has been my philosophy of life that difficulties vanish when faced boldly."  Isaac Asimov

I don't know about you but I often flounder and have a hard time overcoming my weaknesses and moving past mistakes so I can productively move forward in my life.  It is too easy to dwell on past errors and overly focus on the past challenges and, in doing so, let such backward aiming dominate our lives to the point that we become paralyzed with fear and regret or, worse yet, start moving in a downward spiral.  We sometimes get excessively imaginative about "shoulda, coulda, and woulda"--dreaming up every conceivable doomsday scenario even when the facts or consequences are not as bad as our machinations.  In other words we create fiction in our heads and try to rewrite the actual event with a litany of terrifying "what ifs" rather than focusing our attention on the actual facts and strategizing around where we are, what we can do, and how we can overcome.  That is a mistake and thinking we should change.  Think of this:  Not even God can change the past.  What has happened has happened.  When there is something in our distant or recent past that we are allowing to haunt us, we can benefit by realistically evaluating where we really are and letting go of the unchangeable pas--except for any lessons-learned values.   

"Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what you do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer." Dennis Waitly.

Resting place of Senator Edward Kennedy--a man who had to learn to move forward

If you may have to pay some sort of price for your actions, then ask yourself "What is the worst thing that can happen." Prepare yourself for that but start strategizing about ways to lessen the impact.  You have to face the facts, recognize that you can't change them, and institute a plan that can clear your conscience, show you your inner-fortitude in hard times, assist you in making any needed restitution, seek the help of loved ones, and plead for grace (a great enabling power where God intervenes on our behalf to enable us to fill the gap between the most we can do on our own and what we need.  Grace is a gift!  If we are sincere, have hope and faith, and strive for humility, we can receive heavenly help that can change us from the inside out and give us the means, tools, and willpower to shine from darkness. Don't give up when the chips are down.  Be realistic, remember you are human, and do the best you can.  The sun will shine again. Do you have the desire to overcome and move forward? Then do it and do it with the help of loved ones around you and the Divine.  “You can’t change the past, you can only shape the future.”  (Golden Key 7, Copyright 2004 by Steven Burge)