Always do your best…..the wisdom of Maya Angelou teaches us that when we know better, we can do better. That is our opportunity in this life. Sometimes we get stuck in feeling bad about something that has happened in our life. We think incessantly, we feel badly, and we allow guilt to seep into our being. None of those actions will change what you have experienced. They will only ensure that you stay in that place and time. It is the human mind that treats those circumstances as if they will live forever; and while we can most certainly learn from our mistakes, and missteps we do not have to dwell on them. We can visit them to learn, but then we must boldly step back into the present moment.
No sense keeping your eye in the rear view mirror….you are not going in that direction. You must look through the windshield of life and make better choices. Most of us are in favour of progress, it’s the change we don’t like. Face it, constant change is here to stay. Most people become willing to change not because they see the light, but because they feel the heat. Great ideas still need change, adaptation, and modification in order to prosper and succeed. They need your solid belief in the possibilities for the future. Because we cannot become what we need to be, by remaining who we are. The road to success is always under construction….
Don Miguel Ruiz Jr. said “If guilt has any beneficial use, it can only be to let you know when you have gone against your own moral code. When you are aware, guilt is a tiny nudge that helps you find and stand in your integrity. But for most of us guilt resembles a sledge hammer that we use to punish ourselves. Any time we use guilt to punish ourselves for a past crime that we deem unforgiveable, we have, by definition, just separated ourselves from self-love and self-acceptance. The good news is that nothing you have ever done is unforgiveable. Such an act does not exist. You were doing the best that you could at the time. With awareness you realize guilt is a heavy burden that you no longer need to carry.”
By Lisa Scott Executive Coach @ Scott & Associates