So you decide to make some changes in your life. These changes can range from a many variety of things. Perhaps you decided it was time for a job change, or a re-location of where you and your family are going to plant your roots and settle down. (Yeah, you probably guessed it, a personal experience here)
Interesting how when everything is going your way, the decision to make the move looks fantastic, however, should anything start to go wrong, you begin to second guess yourself. You start to think along the lines of, “we shoulda……..” However, if not making the decision to change wasn’t what you really felt like was the right choice, then you probably wouldn’t have made it. Let me give you an example.
When we lived in Virginia, we were very settled. We owned our own home with land, carpet company, all new vehicles, and were definitely comfortable. However, both my wife and I hated what we did for a living. I was never home, most of our relationships were negative, and we were ready for something new. Something challenging and life changing. A chance to do something we loved and escape the lifestyle we were not happy with.
The opportunity came about in 2005, and we acted upon it. At first this decision was definitely accepted as an excellent move on our part. The new business we partnered in was flourishing, we had more time together since the business was all internet based, and everything seemed perfect. Good bye VA and hello MI!!
Then it happened. One, stupid, unethical business decision, and everything changed. Something so small turned out to be so huge and it changed everything in a matter of moments. As things started to quickly spiral out of control, we lost our business, and now all of a sudden the decision to move wasn’t looking very good! We started thinking about what we left behind, the carpet company we had, the life we were living, no struggles or worries like any of the new challenges we were now facing. Instead of focusing on the future and looking for solutions in the present, we started to feel sorry for ourselves and began focusing on the past. The way things used to be. How we wish we never woulda…….. or we coulda…….. or we shoulda……..
Yesterday is gone! The decisions you made, when you made them, were based on the circumstances you were experiencing at that time. Like I mentioned earlier, if life was so good, why would you have been seeking change in the first place? Sometimes, OK a lot of times, in life, what you anticipate happening doesn’t always happen exactly as you planned. However, once you made the decision to change and acted on that decision, there is no going back. Accept it, and instead of focusing on yesterday, plan for tomorrow, and live for today!
See, had we never made that one stupid mistake, we would more than likely be Millionaires today. However, should we have not made that one stupid mistake, we would not have grown and become the people we are today. Though sometimes it is easier to feel sorry for yourself and regret certain decisions you might have made in the past, yesterday is gone forever, no matter what you do, that choice you made has already come to pass. Rather than dwell on your mistakes and wish you would have done things differently, learn from your mistakes, accept the fact that we are not perfect, dust yourself off, and start taking the necessary steps today to make tomorrow the way yesterday could’ve been!!
We need to stop beating ourselves up. Failure is a stepping stone for success. It isn’t a matter of, “am I going to fail,” but “will I get up and keep going when I do?”
Live for today, create for tomorrow!
Blessings,
Ron
