Another #throwbackthursday image posted on Charlotte’s Instagram.
Charlotte looked adoringly at the image of herself in high school with her best friend Janice, remembering how good it was, how good she had looked and how popular she had been.
Now, 25 years later, as Charlotte gazed at herself in the mirror, she could hardly believe that she had been “that girl” in the photo.
Unfortunately, time had not been Charlotte’s friend, and her looks and figure had altered and faded throughout the years.
Charlotte had tried many products and gone on numerous diets, all to try and recapture her looks, but she just could not get back to size she had been in high school.
As Charlotte focused on the photo once again, she thought, Those these were my best days.
The story of my “best days are behind me” kept on repeating each time Charlotte posted an image of her past onto her Instagram.
It is very common for people to fixate on a better time in their life—reliving what they consider past successes, longing to restore or repeat what once was.
Unfortunately, this can result in a very distorted view of the present moment and of reality. Such fixation and longing can go beyond nostalgia to believing that the present is not worthwhile.
Replaying the highlight reels of a past life can rob you of the potential to create a more meaningful life in the here and now, for it limits you, putting an expiration date on becoming the best version of yourself.
It creates a perception that you can never measure up to who you once were, so why create purpose and meaning in the present?
So this week’s challenge is to become clear about your life purpose.
Change your perceptions and look at your life purpose as a process rather than a destination.
One of the best ways to do this is by developing a growth mindset, constantly growing and becoming a better version of ourselves.
A growth mindset is in a constant state of flux and at work to improve, expand, to hone all your talents, gifts, and experiences that you have acquired along the way, allowing us to accomplish things that may seem impossible and to always strive for improvement.
But more importantly, a growth mindset does not live in the past.
It lives in the here and now and believes that your best days are not ever behind you.
They are happening now!
Forever creating,
Deborah Ruth
