“I wish – that – I knew what I know now, when I was younger” – The Faces (and everybody over 20)
Have you ever wanted to go back in time and teach yourself what you’ve learned?
It would be a wonderful thing. How many times have you failed to accomplish what you wanted to do, or let an opportunity pass you by? Have you ever said something you wished you hadn’t, or reacted to a misunderstanding?
We’ve all done those things. And the great thing about our mistakes is that they stay in the past. We ask forgiveness, we act in a way that separates ourselves from behaviors and attitudes that go against our conscience. Most of all, we learn from these moments.
Yet we still suffer damage, and that damage affects our present and future decisions. There is still an effect on our emotions and our ability to relate in a healthy way with others. Some of this damage is unavoidable.
So, would it be fantastic to go back into the past, and reinterpret those past events based on all the knowledge and wisdom you’ve gained since making those mistakes?
What if you can? What if you can actually do that?
It’s the premise of one of my writing projects – my next book. In the story, a person physically revisits their memories and confronts each event that lead to their dire situation.
How to evaluate your past and reinterpret it for a better life
1. Think of one moment – it could be something from your childhood, something that scared you, humiliated you, filled you with anger. Back then you acted wrongly, and you know you could do it again if exposed to the same events and circumstances. Let’s change that.
2. Write down the experience, and what it made you believe about life. Did that believe system help you or hurt you?
3. Now make a choice to believe in something in line with truth. Something that sets you free, yet also holds you responsible for your own life. Take an action that lines up with that new truth.
Congratulations, you are now the hero in the story of your life.
What belief system can you change, and what action will you take to reinforce it?