Look Back To Learn

Look back to learn, but look forward to succeed. We all can learn a lot from what we have been through. It has been said that those who refuse to learn from the past are destined to repeat the lesson. You probably know someone that has made mistake after mistake and not learned from it. Why are we prone to ignore the mistakes of the past? Just my humble opinion, but I think when we experience enough pain, we learn the lesson.

Life lessons can be brutal for those that refuse to learn. History is full of examples of people who think they are somehow immune to the consequences of their decisions. Think Napoleon and Waterloo, Nixon and Watergate, Elvis Presley. There are countless examples of people who did not learn their lesson and paid a terrible price for it. The point is, there is always a price to be paid. If you don’t learn the lesson, you continue to pay, and pay, and pay. It could cost you your marriage, your job, your country, your life, your friendship, etc.

The good news is, you don’t have to continue to make the same mistakes over and over. You simply have to learn the lesson. I realize that is easier said than done, but it is necessary if you ever expect to move forward. Success in the future is dependent on what you decide to do now. You can continue to live in the past. You can let bitterness, resentment, hatred, and anger destroy you, or, you can move forward into your destiny.

Don’t worry about tomorrow, and don’t let the past keep you chained to living in the past. Live today as if there is no tomorrow. Believe and hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst. Expect the unexpected. Stay focused on those things that are eternal, and let go of petty hurts. Don’t let the past keep you from succeeding.

Believe in yourself, be a willing student that perpetually learns, and find your destiny.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes