Memo to the past: f%#k off

There's a great Facebook page for word nerds (and I am most definitely one) called Word Porn. Today, I noticed the above photo on their site. And it got me thinking....

I am not going to write that note to myself.

Because it wouldn't be just two words long because I am a loquacious bastard? Yeah. Ha. But there's more to it than that.

Every one of us has a past -- full of things to be proud of, but also, almost undoubtedly, containing some behavior that, given the chance to relive the moment, a lot of us would choose to modify.

I'm fairly certain that the note that you would write to your former self isn't going to say, "Nice job! Keep up the good work!"

Not that it shouldn't, mind you, but most of you know it wouldn't.

You'd get fixated on that thing -- or those things -- that could've (...should've...would've...) been better if only....

Fuck "if only...."

Really. Take "if only" out back, beat it senseless and leave it there to die.

Sure, learn from your mistakes, but that learning process isn't an excuse to revisit past transgressions and torture yourself over them. Move on. Live your life. Being the best you can be today actually has nothing to do with whatever you did five, ten, twenty or more years ago. Or what was done to you.

Nothing.

(And if you think I am going to suggest that meditation/mindfulness might help you out with this stuff.... I think I just did).

You truly have no choice but to get over it -- whatever "it" is. We've all fucked up and been done wrong (and lived lives that would be punk-rock lyrics if only we were that clever), but the only potential difference between you and the next guy or gal in that regard is whether you are still dwelling on all of that today, or kicking "if only" in the tender parts and moving on to live your life.

We call that "progress."

The greatest thing that hits me on a frequent basis from my time with paleo living, CrossFit, etc. is that people are never too old, too fat, too shy, too slow or too broken to make a positive change. How you get there depends almost entirely on you, today. Not yesterday's you. And most definitely not the you that did (or didn't do) ______ many years ago. I see people coming into paleo, and into the gym, in all shapes and sizes, trying to move on. And up. And it's inspiring as hell.

So what are you doing today? Making things better for yourself and those around you? I hope so.

(And start with liking that Word Porn page. It'll make you smarter; I swear).





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