Just A Story …

Driving down the road with your eyes on the rearview mirror…

Imagine being in your car, just driving down the road. Instead of looking at what’s in front of you, your eyes are on the rearview mirror. Scary thought, huh!

Yet we do it. Sometimes, no most of the time, we do it without even realizing it. Memories are a composite of the yesterdays. The impact of living in our history can be a wreck waiting to happen, let me give you an example:

My mother had divorced my older sibling’s father and while most people heal, my mother was enraged. Her anger and bitterness spewed over, casting my perception of this man to be a monster. In fact, he didn’t have a name other than profanity that she repeated consistently. I was a teenager before I learned his ‘real’ name was Frank.

Mom went to her grave with her bitterness. She viewed the world thru her lens of distrust and anger. She wasn’t able to forgive and move on. She was stuck. She wasn’t able to enjoy life, dabble in adventure and appreciate those who loved her, though to her friends and co-workers said she was a good woman. She had a great front.

As I carried my mother’s torch, my life was one crisis after another. I pin-pointed faults and judged unmercifully. I attracted men who triggered my anger – not consciously of course. My mother was right – men were jerks!

Somewhere within me I knew life had to be better than what I was experiencing. God knows I did the best I knew to do yet it seemed like I was running in place. I couldn’t live life the way my mother had. Although my mother had refused therapy, it was the beginning of change for me.

Think about this for a moment. When things aren’t working, what do you focus your attention on? Perhaps the situation? How bad it is? How wronged you’ve been? Do you blame another person? Maybe even yourself? Do you find yourself doing ‘snowball thinking’? Does your mind go mach ninety? Would you qualify for crisis management? Do you bring up something someone has done as a point of comparison, perhaps repeating it? Do you keep yourself a hostage to your past? All of this is looking in the rearview mirror of life. Is it any wonder you’re a wreck waiting to happen.

Within each of us is the power to use our past to launch us forward. There is gold in the darkness.

Being a master of our thoughts rather than a slave is being present to what is rather than what was.

My story laid the foundation for me to be here now.

I can help you gain peace of mind and clarity – give me a call.

This week, notice what you’re thinking and ask yourself if your thoughts are empowering you toward happiness. Begin the change.

Happy thoughts to you!

Smiles,
Glenda

"Ponderings" © Copyrighted 1998 – 2007 by Glenda Gibbs. Feel free to share. The content may be forwarded in full, with copyright/contact/creation information intact.

Glenda Gibbs
________________________________________
email: glenda@glendagibbs.com
voice: 509.585.9683
web: http://glendagibbs.com

Author's Bio: 

For the last twenty years, Glenda Gibbs has helped individuals and groups of people learn how to embrace conflict and breakthrough what seemed impossible to find collaboration, peace of mind, and achieve their goals. She's helped thousands of people discover how to make their unique contributions in the world.

Glenda teaches from a wealth of experience, both personal and professional. She assists those who want more out life and are ready to re-connect with their essence. Glenda can be reached at www.glendagibbs.com.