Hindsight

People usually look ahead in January, not back. Goals for their future self are set and resolutions made. Many go into a new year wanting to leave the previous year in the dust. I’ve spent the first few days of the new year in hindsight. It is 20/20, right. Just kidding. I had to. If I can’t laugh from time-to-time, I’ll crumble.

Looking back has actually helped me look forward. I think for some, hindsight can feel like regret. Now that you have the knowledge of today, sometimes it’s difficult to look back at the “mistakes” of your past. I see hindsight, however, not as a place for regret. Instead, I view hindsight as a place of empowerment.

Hindsight moves me towards growth, if I will allow it. Instead of regretting past actions, behaviors, and decisions, I can look at them as a motivator to grow, deepen my faith, and expand my empathy for myself and others. Hindsight is a powerful tool that can propel me towards a better version of myself.

I will not excuse or ignore past me because of a “hindsight is 20/20 so I can’t do anything about it now” attitude. Hindsight isn’t meant for us to get frustrated or discouraged that we can’t change the past. Hindsight helps us to change our future.

The wisdom I gain from my hindsight of 2021 was disheartening at times. I realized I spent a lot of the year looking at my tree instead of the entire forest. I made some decisions that I am embarrassed to admit today. Do I regret them? No. Because they gave me hindsight. Being able to have wisdom on this side while looking back on the other side of the calendar year helps me to see who I want to be in this new year and who I absolutely do not want to be.

Allow hindsight to be a powerful tool in your life. Don’t look at it as regret. See it as opportunity.

Hindsight has…

…given me the opportunity to expand my view from my peep hole to opening the entire door.

…enabled me to see what I am taking in and how that is effecting what I am putting out.

…helped me to chill WAY out.

…released me from the burden of caring what others’ think.

…increased and deepened my faith exponentially.

…enabled me to forgive myself.

…freed me from wanting others to conform to my ways and my beliefs.

…released me from feeling like I need to convince others of something.

…freed those around me to live their lives without my judgment.

…opened my eyes to see that every person’s journey is different & I need to let them walk it out. My only job is to with them in love.

…increased my empathy and turned it into action.

…helped me enjoy my marriage and kids like never before (& I enjoyed them a lot before hidnsight came in)

I can go on. I bet you could sit down and right a pretty incredible list of lessons learned because of hindsight, too. Let’s look at hindsight as opportunity not regret. Hindsight really is 20/20 and that’s powerful.