There Are Only Two Things In Your Past
Author: Dr. Wm. G. Seavey

The Mustard Seed – Lesson For living

# 24

There Are Only Two Things In Your Past

THE LESSON

What two things does one see when peering into their past? They are the good and the bad, the failures and the wins. Nothing more and nothing less. Now, if someone else were looking into your past, most would see only the bad. But your past is not their problem although many think that is why they are here on planet earth. Not so. Your past is your particular challenge, not theirs. The problem lies in what you will do with it. You can react to it (negative) or respond to it (positive).

It is amazing to me how many times we will venture into our pasts to find only the flaws in it. And there will always be someone to help you find them. I cannot tell you of the times in which I have run across people I had not seen in years and they would immediately question me about my past. Bill, you remember that time….? And it was a time that I had forgotten and did not want to remember.

In counseling those who have gotten off track there is one question I’ve heard more than others. It is, “Why? Why has this happened to me? Of all people, why me? I did nothing wrong. It was the other person that caused this.” It was as if they thought they had no part in the tragedy. When tragedy strikes the first person to look at is not the other person. Self-examination is the first line of investigation. “What could I have done to prevent this tragedy from happening?” And if you listen carefully you will find answers. Sometimes things just happen and it is called living. Other times you are at fault. And there are times in which the other person was at fault. In relationships though both are involved. Face reality and above all do not live in delusion. Delusion means you are hiding from reality. The best time to face the music is while it is playing.

Stop wrestling with all the other voices as you try to sort out your past and the whys of it. There is only one person you have to please and that is you. You’ll hit a brick wall trying to please all people. You do not have to defend yourself to others. As long as you did your best, what is there to defend? But if you were wrong, admit it and move on. Sometimes counseling is needed to point out the errors in judgment. Many times man cannot see his own mistakes. Watch out for the people who are always telling you what you need to do. They haven’t a clue what you need to do. An aspirin is not a cure-all for all ailments for all people.

Here is a partial list of what most people see in their pasts. Does this list remind you of any thing in your past?

Things that were done in haste.
Things done without consultation.
Things done on a dare.
Things done when we knew better.
Things done in ignorance.
Things done in anger.
Things done in spite.
Things done to get even.
Things done to show of.
Things done because we did not care about the outcome.
Things done to be noticed.
Things done to control.
Things done because we were talked into it.
AND the list is endless. Most people view their past as failure. What is failure? It is something not turning out as hoped for. It is that which did not come to full fruition. BUT it is not the end of the world. You will always have problems. Hopefully though, as we grow older, failures will become fewer in number, so that, when we look back at our pasts, we won’t see failure. The wins will outweigh the losses. We will see victory over failure. Most view their pasts as a complete failure. That is because the failure/win ratio is so unbalanced. Did you know there has to be a certain amount of failure in our lives to learn from? Failure is a great teacher if you arise from it, not be engulfed in it. No, I wouldn’t want to see how many mistakes I could make just to learn from. There will be enough that will come our way just because that is the way life dishes it out. Why add to the picture? The idea is to look back with a learning eye and see as few mistakes and errors in judgment as possible.

Now what if your past looks like a shipwreck from where you are standing? DO NOT ABONDON SHIP. THERE IS HOPE. FIX THE LEAKS AND KEEP YOUR LIFEBOAT FROM SINKING. STAY THE COURSE EVEN THOUGH THE WATERS OF LIFE MAY GET A LITTLE ROUGH, YES, EVEN VERY ROUGH.

Learn from your past and get over it. Stop revisiting it all the time. You cannot live in the past and see your future. Learn from those errors in judgment and face your future with hope. Once your past is behind you, your future is a clean slate. A KEY – You have to take charge of your life. This means disciplining yourself daily. What is discipline?

Discipline - Training that develops self-control, character or orderliness and efficiency. Acceptance of, or submission to, authority and control. It is a system of rules. Strict control to enforce obedience, the result of such training or control. It is self-control over those things or areas that keeps you and I from being successful. If I were to look at the spiritual aspect of this the word discipline could mean to be God-controlled. But the real problem lies within us. We do not want to be controlled by an outside source, especially if it is a source higher than self. To be God-controlled does not let us of the hook. We must use self-control and be in control of self, which means to not allow destructive forces to enter into our lives. This can only happen when we allow God to control our lives.

Failure and success are in our ballpark. No one is going to force either one on us and no one else is going to do it for us. We have to take charge and allow control from right sources to overpower the destructive want to’s in our lives.

Living in the past produces no positive results. Think about it. Has where you have been living produced any positive results? Living for your future DOES produce positive results. Remember what the Bible says about your thoughts? It says to take them captive. That means you do not allow destructive thoughts into your mind. You allow only those thoughts which cause you to grow in a positive direction and that is forward. Do not live in the place called stuck. You might be stuck right now in your problems but with a little thought and creativity, you can get unstuck and move on.

Once committed, errors in judgment become your past. The challenge is to attend them before they become a permanent part of your past. Unattended they will haunt you. They will not go away. Even though God forgives you of missing the mark (sin, errors in judgment) payment must be paid but only once. Why keep paying for the same error over and over again. That is too painful. Pay once and move on. Don’t keep tabs of your mistakes. To many people keep a running tab of their mistakes and call themselves failures. Stop calling yourself names!

Here are seven keys for dealing with your past and future.

1. Deal promptly with the problem.
2. Clean house (you) of all negativity.
3. Maintenance – keep the house clean.
4. Take inventory of your life. Get some direction. Stay motivated.
5. Do spot checks to make sure you are on the right path. You can always change direction.
6. Check your progress. Don’t get side tracked again.
7. Have a party (not a pity party). Celebrate yourself. You are worth it.

A PARTING THOUGHT - Looking back at life to see what was is not near as exciting as looking forward in life at your possibilities. It is a time in which you ask yourself the question what if, not, if only. Remember this. The sun will shine again in God’s own time. Be patient until it does!

I Wish You The Best Of Success,

Dr. Wm. G. Seavey
Web Site www.thewinnerscircle.org
Email the Doctor for lecturing at winnow@earthlink.net
Subscribe to The Mustard Seed – Lessons For Living at www.thewinnerscircle.org

JOKE FOR THE DAY

I’ve discovered a new way to get rich. You buy 50 female pigs and 50 male deer and put them together. Then you will have one 100 sows and bucks. (It will take some of you a while to get this) If you do not get it, email me and I’ll explain the sows and the bucks.

SUCCESS TIP

You do not reap what you sow. You reap much, much more. Sow a kernel of corn and reap a bushel. It is the same way with a kind word, encouragement and a few atta boys’. If what you sow is sown with right motives, you won’t be able to find a container large enough to contain the blessings. But remember, the same law works when you sow wrong seeds. You reap a multitude of consequences.

LIVE LIFE TODAY WHILE IT IS STILL TODAY. TOMORROW MAY BE TO LATE!







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Dr. Seavey is an ordained minister, lecturer and motivational speaker teaching personal development and growth through the use of time honored disciplines and principles. He has been in this field since 1976.

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