If you’re anything like me, your present self is better than your past self. It could be the way you look, behave, think, or just how your life seems to be going. You’re not where or who you used to be. If you were a beautiful child prodigy that had a cure for every disease and was the perfect person in every aspect, then by all means, this friendly advice isn’t for you. However, if you’re of the majority, like me who wasn’t that, then I hope these words resonate with you.
Many of us look back at our past and cringe at the fashion styles we were into, the choices we made, and just the way in which we might have seen life. Reflecting upon the past, there are often one or two recurring questions like what did you learn from it and what would you do differently?
Personally, there are a million and one things I would do differently, but for those who are reading, here are the most glaring things I would do or change that you might resonate with and here are a few things I’ve learned to do away with for my benefit.
Firstly, I’ve learned would stop living to please people and I wish I would’ve done it sooner. It’s mentally and physically draining. I think for many of us, this was the mindset we had in our lives at one moment or two, where we sought after everyone’s approval for a sliver of validation that didn’t even last long enough for us to even slightly enjoy it. I think many of us fall victim to this. The Bible mentions, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). From personal experience, I think the only validation that matters, that is most easily accessible, and that truly stands the test of time is God’s and our very own approval of ourselves.
Another is worrying about how something in the future will play out. Many of us have let future outcomes plague our minds so much that it’s made us physically sick.
In my own personal battles with thinking about what the future holds for myself, I’ve more than likely always lost the battle in my head, but God always gave me victory in the physical realm in any roadblock that came before my path. The Bible speaks on this a lot. In Philipians 4:6 it says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Another encouraging word is in Matthew 6:26-27, which states, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add asingle hour to your life? So what’s the point of even worrying, if God has us in the end.”
Lastly, one of my personal favorites, which I’m still working on with myself, says, “Keep love in your heart at all cost” (Proverbs 4:23). This world and life’s bumps and bruises will try and take that away from you every chance it gets. It’s hard to put that back into the place where it left, but it’s a must if you want to live in this world with your sanity intact. God calls all of us to love one another, even our enemies, like He loves us. This can and will be a challenge, but what in life isn’t? Just know this one is worthwhile at the end of the day.
I write this not just to you, but to myself as well, as a reminder. If I could leave you with anything, it is, don’t let the past, people, and most importantly past mistakes dictate who you are going to be. Whenever I played sports and had a bad game, my father always told me, “you have to have a short memory, and prepare for the next one.” And that’s what life is at the end of the day, a game where most of the time we’re all trying to win, but during certains moments of said game, we don’t come out victorious. And after any loss, we can sit there and mope around, or get back up and keep moving forward. Learn from your mistakes and remember: You’re stronger, you’re wiser, and you’re better.
