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Savor the Good and Let Go of the Bad
Don’t wait until it no longer is to appreciate it and don’t hold onto to what no longer serves you
Just yesterday it hit me how often I fondly reflect on old times and things that once were. Now, in essence, there’s nothing wrong with doing so. It’s good to have good memories. Except here’s the thing — when I truly reflect and look back, I wasn’t even happy during these times in my life and moments I supposedly cherish.
It’s a deadly combination of not being able to appreciate what I have until it’s gone, over-romanticizing the past and holding onto what was. Somewhere deep inside me resides a miser who believes if only things could go back to how they were or if I could only have that again, I’d be happy.
The first step to putting an end to this bad habit of mine is realizing what the problem is in the first place, which I did fairly quickly — I’m rarely ever present enough to get joy out of those moments when they’re taking place. I spend too much time in my head thinking about what was or worrying about what might be to truly appreciate them.
Bestselling author James Altucher refers to this “time-traveling”. When we spend too much time thinking about the past or worrying about the future, we rob ourselves of being able to enjoy the…
