TO MOVE FORWARD

I recently read about a study conducted on three groups of people. One group discussed their personal problems and went home immediately after. The second group, after discussing their problems, went over the mistakes they made that led to those poor choices. The third group, instead of dealing with the past, looked forward and made commitments about what they would do different in the future. Each group was asked to repeat this process for five minutes a day. 

 

So, one group had no tools, one looked backwards, and the other looked forwards. Which do you think had more success? 

 

Many of us might believe it was the one looking forward, but it might surprise you to know there was the most significant improvement in the group that looked backwards, and traced over their mistakes. 

Putting one foot in front of the other doesn’t necessarily ensure that everything will improve – especially not if you’re walking down a road that isn’t in your best interest. The study shows us an important spiritual principle: If we want things to get better, it’s important to not only discover our mistakes, but to find out why we’re making them. Then we can do the real work to change. 

We all have self-destructive behaviors that lead us to make the same bad decisions. None of us are without our tendencies towards selfishness, instant gratification, laziness… all those things that block us from experiencing more success and fulfillment in our lives. 

But by digging a little deeper, we might just get to the root of the problem, and understand ourselves a little better in the process. Maybe we are sabotaging ourselves because we are afraid we will outshine someone close to us. Maybe we fail because we don’t really believe change is possible. Or maybe we make mistakes on purpose because we don’t feel we deserve a great life – one with all the successes and riches meant for us. 

This isn’t to say that we need to spend hours in self-reflection, but to stop the patterns that hold us back, it’s important to know where they are coming from. 

Sometimes to move forward, we first have to look backwards.

When we discover the reason for our negative behaviors, we stand a much better chance at changing them.

72 Name of the Week

Vav Hey Vav
TIME TRAVEL

I look back at the actions in my own life, and honestly accept my mistakes. My present is the result of those causes, situations and deeds that I created and can correct. I feel the need to change. I see my past and with conviction, I reverse those actions by changing my direction. I will spread joy and kindness, and I feel the beginnings of transformation – in myself, in my past, and in my future.