“We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.” – Rick Warren
No matter how technologically we advance…
and no matter how educated, experienced, wealthy or busy we become, we will always carry one thing forward with us: our past.
If we’ve pursued a path of conscious, personal development, we may be a bit more aware of it — and its attempts to shape our present and our future — but, even so, our past hangs out in our subconscious if not our everyday consciousness.
If anything in our past has been held as negative or something we’ve wanted to “get away” from then, chances are, our lives have become a reaction to that past.
So, we may have sought to find closure, completion, or taken the route of forgiveness.
All those routes are good and honorable, and definitely more actively freeing than holding onto the past.
But, what if we had nothing to close, nothing to complete, and nothing to forgive?
What if we caused it ALL just to get ourselves on the path of becoming who we came here to be and doing what we came here to do?
Tough pill to consider swallowing, but think of the ramifications…
— you chose the events and circumstances…to establish who you came here to be
— you chose the players…to help you become who you came here to be
— you chose the environments…to shape you into who you came here to be
You did all that to become who you came here to be so that you can now do what you came here to do.
It’s nothing new to be the victim, for sure. That’s an easy card to play. And we can all present evidence that we’re “right” and get all the justification we need from well-meaning friends.
But it’s definitely the road less traveled to consider ourselves a victim to nobody or nothing that’s ever occurred…and to actually be thankful for ALL of it.
Now, that’s not Pollyanna “It’s all good!” I’m talking about, and definitely not a thankful-while-gritting-my-teeth type of gratitude.
But, just what if it were possible that the most yucky thing that ever happened to you was actually the BEST thing that ever happened to you? If you caused it all in your past (and realize you have that power), how might you now cause it all in your future? How would that change your story?
Today’s exercise is to take one most-yucky event, situation or circumstance from your past and, just for the hell of it, come up with 20 reasons why it’s the best thing that could have ever happened to you?
Want some past re-writing support? If you’re near LA, join us for our 1-Day Back Forty IGNITE Program on October 12 in Long Beach. In a beautiful hotel location, overlooking the harbor and Queen Mary, lots of people will leave past limitations behind and begin a radical, unlimited second half of life. See details for the program here or schedule a private session here.
Got past rewrite?
“You must learn some of my philosophy. Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure.” – Jane Austen
DARRELL W. GURNEY, Executive/ Career Coach and 20-year recruiting veteran, supports people at all levels to make fulfilling and profitable career transitions. His first book, Headhunters Revealed! Career Secrets for Choosing and Using Professional Recruiters, was winner of the Clarion Award for Best Book by the Association for Women in Communications and was reviewed in Publishers Weekly. His newest book, Never Apply for a Job Again: Break the Rules, Cut the Line, Beat the Rest, has been endorsed by bestselling thought leaders such as Harvey Mackay, Keith Ferrazzi, and Dr. Ivan Misner. A personal and business brand strategist, Darrell’s Stealth Method of networking has helped folks expand their reach within both careers and new client circles. He speaks, leads workshops, and is a media expert on subjects such as recruiting, networking, and finding one’s passion. He was recently named Networking Expert for BeyondB-School.com and offers webinars and programs that get MBA students and working professionals out, connected, and landed.
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