The Wisdom Of Winnie

"I always get to where I'm going, by walking away from where I've been." I owe a word of thanks to my nephew/son for sharing this nugget of wisdom with me this weekend. Bogi and I were on a call when he recalled a quote that he had heard. I expected a Ben Franklin or Abe Lincoln memorable moment, or maybe even something from a business leader or military figure, but instead Bo shared the words of a children's literature book character, Winnie the Pooh. Regardless of the source, there is a tremendous amount of truth in Pooh's message. 

Often in life we allow our past to dictate our future. We allow past failures to immobilize us and label us incapable or inferior. Yet, if we dig a little deeper, the truth is our past failures can be more of a tool in our quest to find our true purpose in this life. In other situations, we fall into the rut of complacency, where the easier route to take is to sit right where we are. Kind of the "if it's not broke, then don't try to fix it" mentality. It is our responsibility to move forward, God has a purpose for each and every life and in my opinion I doubt very seriously that anyone's purpose involves dragging along the mistakes of the past, or lingering in the fear of "what's next". If you want to get to where God purposed you to be, it is going to involve some forward motion. 

I've written about it before, but there is a reason why the windshield is so big and the rearview mirror is so small. We need to spend the majority of our time looking at what is ahead of us and utilize the rearview mirror as a small reminder not to fall into the traps of the past that may have delayed our journey at some point. Whatever happened in the past is behind you now. God's best life is yet to come, you just need to embrace it and go for it. I firmly believe that God has a plan for each person's life, it is your choice to submit and follow His plan. It is a choice that God allows you to make, choose forward progress. 

I love the words of Paul in his letter to the church in Philippe where he proclaims, "Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14. Forgetting the mistakes and failures of the past, not allowing the comfort and complacency of yesterday to hinder my forward motion, I press on to the goal that God placed in my heart, mind, and soul when I was created. I'll get to where I'm going only if I leave where I was behind! 

I appreciate Bogi sharing that quote with me, encouraging words with a divine connection stoke the embers of my soul! There have been times when I felt like the past was an anchor around my neck weighing me down, not allowing me to proceed, but just as Pooh said above, when I make the decision to move forward, I have to leave the past where it belongs, behind me. Today, I pray that you will not allow the mistakes of yesterday to hinder your progress for today. You can make it to where you are going, you just have to leave where you are to get there! 

Coach Carter