Don’t be afraid to look behind you
There’s wisdom to be found
Good evening!
Welcome to the Friday edition of The Daily Self Newsletter. This week has been profound and has led me down several paths to self-discovery. I’d like to share one of these paths with you tonight.
One thing for you to think about
You may have heard this advice before (i.e. I’m not claiming it as mine): when you’re looking in front of you and the trail ahead seems too long or too difficult, take a moment to look behind you to see the distance you’ve already covered and the challenges you’ve overcome along the way.
I’ve done this a lot in backpacking and trail running when I’m exhausted and don’t know how I’m going to keep pushing. When I look back and see how far I’ve come, I’m psychologically empowered and motivated by my progress.
I had the same experience this week when I was considering all the things that I’ve had to go through in my life to get to the mindset that I have today. I realized that the heartbreak, losses, hurdles, embarrassments, failures, etc. have all coalesced to make a better/improved 42-year-old version of me.
What I’d like to challenge YOU to think about over the next few days is how far you’ve come in YOUR journey. Consider who you were 5, 10, even 15 years ago and the problems you had back then. If those problems are no longer problems, then you’ve made progress! That’s something to be proud of.
Discovery: Every day is an opportunity to learn more about yourself and others. Reflect on these ideas and consider sharing.
Two things for you to ask yourself
You can truly paint the picture of a hero’s journey in your mind (where YOU are the hero, of course) if you ask yourself the following questions:
What have you struggled through and conquered to get where you are now?
What wisdom have you gained after walking through the fire?
Use these questions as journaling prompts.
One thing for you to try
If you’ve been struggling to get out of a rut lately, or overwhelmed by something that you must face in your future, take some time to look behind you. There’s wisdom to be applied from the paths you’ve already walked, and strength to be found in the obstacles you’ve already surmounted.
Experiment: Growth happens when you step outside of your comfort zone and make brave choices. Reply to this email or leave a comment and let me know how it went.
Liked what you read? Share it with a friend!