Many of the hours in my day are spent in relatively peaceful reflection. Most things upon which I ponder come and go, but as I was driving home from work recently, the notion struck me that I am not who I want to be. I considered the thought briefly, and it dawned on me that most of us are probably in the same boat. As you can surely imagine, I couldn't help but wonder why.
I'm sure all of us have looked back over our lives and imagined how different the present would be if we could change some small details. I review the events of my life and I am bombarded with memories of circumstances which I could have - and probably should have - handled differently. Perhaps I would be a better woman today.
Yesterday, however, is gone. I can no more change my actions from a decade past than I could change what I wore to work today. In this, I realize that the value of yesterday is to help guide my actions today, and formulate a plan for tomorrow. The key to using yesterday as an effective tool for positive change is in understanding that it is not the events and circumstances of my life that have made me the woman I am today, but rather how I have dealt with them which truly reflects my character.
Insanity, at its heart, is repeating the same actions and expecting different results. To avoid this, we would all be wise to have some template or guide which we can reference in any situation. Some folks base their template on religious values, and others are their own compass. I'm not going to argue what system is correct; I am simply going to inform you that some system is absolutely imperative to feeling fulfilled in life.
Changing who you are right now could be as simple as truly understanding your own values. Write them down and prioritize them. All of your actions should satisfy the criteria you have outlined on a moral and ethical level, or they will lead you down a road other than the one you truly wish to travel. Regrets all stem from our failure to uphold our personal values. Let every decision be based on what's important to you. Too many of us focus our efforts on where we want to go in life or what we want to do, rather than who we choose to be.
What will tomorrow bring? I don't know. All I can say is that tomorrow will bring its own troubles, and the best way to prepare for it is to tackle the troubles of today with integrity. Goals and aspirations are wonderful things, but if the choices we make to achieve them do not correspond with the values we hold dear, then tomorrow's victories shall be bitter and empty indeed.
In this life we are in total control of very few things. Among these things are our actions and attitude. Despite the storms that rage around you daily, you are in the unique position to determine whether your life will be peaceful or chaotic. I look to the horizon and see the legacy that I should leave someday for my children. It is my only hope that they will remember me not as a woman of wealth or influence but, above all things, as a woman of character.
