Moving forward

There are many instances in our lives that we are forced to move forward. Learn from our mistakes and forget what happened. Blah blah blah and move on. But was it really the right move? Did you ever at one time make the same mistakes again? Or did it ever occur to you that you should have moved back instead?

In so many cases in our lives in the heat of the moment, we tend to lean to the all or nothing type of perspective. Whether it is right or wrong, love or hate, take it or leave it kind. Has it ever occurred to anyone that the situation still deserves a second chance? That maybe, this moment of crisis deserves not leaving and forgetting but rather a step back to gain a sense of the bigger picture?

So many of the life decisions we make has always been accompanied with regret. Resigning from a lucrative career when we should have taken a step back to get our mojo going or giving up a good relationship when all we need to do is rekindle a flame is just the surface of the cesspool in our lives when we gave up something  in our unending quest for the complete extreme. So much heartache and regret for something that can be simply decided if we have just taken a break and thought things over.

On the other hand, I can’t blame others who have already thought it over and decided that they cannot live with half of something or settled for something less than what they think they deserve. To all those individuals, I salute you. For it is an enviable trait to know what you want and hold on to it. However, to those of us who are on the brink of a life decision it is not as simple as it should be. So many factors play a part in our decisions that we have to think not only with our minds but also with our hearts.

I have always believed that life is journey. There are times that we get too focused in our destinations that we forget to slow down and appreciate the scenery that surrounds us. Like the runner who does not gain momentum, or a car that is trying to go uphill. Their commonality lies in that both need to reach a certain momentum which can only be achieved by slowing down or shifting to a lower gear. Taking a step back can mean slowing down or sometimes even coming to a complete halt to find the impetus it needs to go further.

Certainly it is a valuable human trait to rethink and review all the things we do and re-evaluate the mistakes and the actions we should have done. But then again, re-experiencing the same hurts and rethinking the same mistakes over and over keep us mired in our own misery. Sometimes though, a golden opportunity arises and we are given a second chance to rewind and play a tune differently.

Sometimes, to move forward, all we really need to do is take a step back and redo a few things.