A recurring theme when I talk to people is the regrets they hold close. Regrets are a funny thing. They are not always labeled “regrets.” Sometimes they are “I wish I woulda… this” or “I wish I wouldn’t have… that.” Let me ask you a question; What exactly can we change about the past?
Our past is over. We cannot change anything. We can only get real about it, review how we got there and take lessons that we can carry into our next interactions.
Our future, and who we choose to be is what we now have control over. This doesn’t mean that our past won’t haunt or torment us. And sometimes there is a price to be paid for something we’ve done in our past. Recognition of what we’ve done wrong to someone doesn’t absolve us from responsibility. That’s a whole other post.
We can choose to control out thoughts. We may not be able to control the first thought that pops in our head, but we can decide on each thought that follows.
Maybe this is why I cling to the hope that my faith in Christ is not wasted. Christ allows me to be forgiven for what I’ve done, or haven’t done, in my past. Christ provides a way forward by releasing who we once were. I also have more than a little stoicism in me. I’ve learned as I’ve grown older to worry about and work for things that I can control and only those things I can control.
Our past, our future and who we choose to be are all up to us. The main difference is that the past, our pasts, are already complete. We cannot change them. But our future is up to us and who we choose to make of it.
Start there. Ask yourself, “Who do I choose to be?”
I’d love to hear your answer.
