I’ve been taking a lot of trips down Memory Lane lately.
My stepmom is selling the house we grew up in (my dad passed away 5 years ago). I’ve been helping to sort through the decades of stuff that they’d stored in the garage.
The vintage avocado green melamine dishes we used when I was little.
Vintage Coleman lanterns used on many a family camping trip.
My dad’s old Boy Scout knife, complete with cowboy-fringed leather holder.
My extensive collection of Bernard Kliban cat swag.
Plus, several boxes of my high school and college memorabilia. Yearbooks, photo albums, countless movie and concert ticket stubs.
All reminders of the fun and I had in those years. The simpler times.
Would I ever want to go back? Nope.
People are usually astonished when they hear me say that. “Life was so great as a kid/in high school/in college. Why wouldn’t you?”
I believe you can enjoy the memories of your past (the memories that serve you), but still prefer the here and now.
And, love the future and what it holds in store for you even more. Even when we don’t know exactly what that is.
Did I enjoy growing up, being a kid, and all the great experiences that came with it? Of course!
But I don’t believe in dwelling on those times and glorifying them like they were the best years I’ll ever have.
The past is comfortably enjoyable.
But I know that my future,
no matter how uncertain,
no matter how much pain and sadness and frustration
and anything else I might experience,
will be exciting and happy and rewarding too.
(Not the least of which is I’m looking forward to hopefully being a grandmother some day!!)
Our futures exist so we can grow and learn and experience things that will create the next set of memories for us, helping us live full and rewarding lives.
What do you think about your own future?
Make a list of at least five things you look forward to in the future. Then tuck that list in a book or your nightstand drawer, and re-read it every once in a while as a good reminder of what promises the future holds for you.
P.S. If you feel so buried by what’s going on in your life now that you can’t even think about your future, it’s time to get some coaching. Live the life you’ve always wanted. Sign up for a free strategy session and we’ll start clearing up the overwhelm of the present to get you looking forward to your own future. Click here to grab your spot.