All of us have chapters in our past that we’d rather not revisit. Episodes we wish we could redo or forget altogether. Yet, for many of us, these parts of our past loom large in our rear-view mirror, occupying an outsized part of our psyche. As we drive through life, the fender-benders, Road accidents, missed exits, and bridges burned can capture too much of our attention, distraction us from enjoying the open road ahead.

The more we dwell on the potholes behind us though, the less clearly we see the path in front of our wheels. When our mind’s eye stays obsessively glued to the past, we risk swerving off course or missing new turns that could take us to exciting places.

So why do we dwell so much on those bumps in the rearview anyway? Often, we get addicted to rehashing the story – trying to figure out what went wrong or how we could have done things differently. Or we beat ourselves up over our mistakes in the name of “learning our lesson.” But the humble truth is that no amount of mental energy can rewrite what’s already on the pages behind us. All we can do is take the lessons as they come to us.

Here’s the motivational part – you have so much wonderful road still ahead! Think of how many incredible vistas and charming towns and rest stops overflowing with your favorite snacks have yet to unfold. Dwelling on the faded billboards behind you will only obscure the bright horizons in front of you.

So how can we fight the urge to excessively dwell on the past? A few ideas:

● Practice radical self-forgiveness. The energy you would spend beating yourself up is better used fueling your next adventure.

● When old memories or wounds creep up, consciously bring yourself back to the present moment.

● Make a playlist of songs that make you feel hopeful about the future.

● Talk to friends about what excites you for the road ahead rather than what you regret behind you.

● Appreciate how every bump in the road has made you wiser and stronger. The rearview is small because the windshield is so much bigger! Your best views are absolutely ahead.

So let’s keep the Rearview Mirror small, friends. We all have things back there we’d like to leave far behind in the dust. But when we release our grip on the pain of yesterday, we open our hands and eyes fully to grab exciting new opportunities. The road ahead goes ever on – let’s see just how captivating the ride can be.