Connecting the Dots
Have you ever used a hand-held catapult? It is a small hand-powered projectile weapon that consists of a Y-shaped frame with two natural-rubber strips attached to the uprights. The other ends of the strips lead back to a pocket that holds the projectile, which is usually a stone or pebble. The dominant hand grasps the pocket and draws it back to the desired extent to provide enough power for the projectile. This is the science behind it, the most rearward the sling is pulled, the farther the stone will go, i.e. in order to go farther, you’ll need to pull far backward. That is how life is sometimes, there’s a need to pause and deliberately glance back in order to go forward.
In today’s high speed, fast-paced and rapidly evolving world, we are often flooded with counsels like “No looking back,” “Leave the past behind,” “Let bygones be bygones, we can’t change the past, after all…” In reality, nothing can be done about what happened to us yesterday, but there is value in looking back at the events in our lives. It’s a lot like using your rear-view mirror when driving, you’ll stay aware of traffic situations behind and around you helping you to make the right decisions when changing direction during your journey.
Looking back gives us the opportunity to learn from our past as we journey towards our desired future. Like Steve Jobs, Co-founder of Apple Inc. said: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.” Here are four things that looking back will do for you:
- It Helps You Know the Patterns in Your Life
When you look back, you are able to recognize the patterns and trends in your life, which will help you develop strategies for future occurrences. If those patterns are positive, then you’ll need to strengthen them, otherwise, you will need to course-correct the negative trends you observe in order to live a better life.
- It Helps You Know the Baggage You Are Carrying
Regardless of who we are, we all go about life with different baggage. This baggage could be emotional, psychological or even social. Looking back enables us to identify and evaluate them so that we can drop them.
- It Helps You Know the Shoulders You’re Standing On
At some point in our lives, people have played different roles in helping us become who we are. We should not be carried away with our drive towards our desired future that we forget to recognize and appreciate those people. Looking back helps us to identify and appreciate them while we commit to strengthening the relationships.
- It Gives You Confidence for More
Looking back helps you to see how far you’ve come in life. As you reflect on your experiences, you build confidence in yourself and your ability to achieve more. For example, whenever you encounter a challenge you have faced before, your ability to recall the previous encounter and how you overcame that obstacle gives you the confidence to push forward.
It is, however, important to make a clear distinction; looking back to connect the dot is not the same as living in the past, they are two different things. Living in the past will keep you from achieving your potential, but reflecting on the past will give you insight and perspective.
Remember, You Have Only One Life to Live, MAKE IT COUNT.
