Looking Back

Hey! You'll stumble and fall...

There is nothing wrong about looking back. In fact there is a Filipino proverb that goes like this: “He who does not look back will not be able to reach to his/her destination” or something to that effect. Of course, this proverb is not literally talking about looking back or even introspection. The proverb, really, is about gratitude.  I think this is a much better rendering of the proverb: “He who does not know to whom he is indebted to will not be able to reach his/her destination” 

Looking back reminds of our failures, inadequacies, heartaches...

One of the reasons why it’s not good to look back is because we will be, again, reminded of our failures, heartaches, pains, sorrows, disappointments etc. The fact that we are now in the New Year should give us the psychological Rubicon, a point from which we could commit ourselves to begin with a new slate, that is,   to move forward. 

But if we think we have had a wonderful 2011, I have to warn us not to look back that much at the last year. Why? The problem is that we may become proud of our achievements and think that we did so well that we may become complacent. The proverbial story of the tortoise and the hare may well illustrate my point. The  hare raced and got so far ahead of the tortoise that when he looked back and saw the turtles slow progress, the hare smiled; it laid back and fell asleep thinking that his gain was enough to see him through the race. But, lo, behold the lowly tortoise finished ahead of the hare. The tortoise did not outrun the hare, for the turtle would not be able to do that; the turtle out-persevere the hare. It’s not about speed, its all about perseverance!

It's not about speed, it's all about perseverance!

Another peril of looking back is that looking back can lead to going back. The story of the Israelites wandering in the desert is a good illustration of this. Every time Israelites encounter difficulty, they always look back to their captivity in Egypt. They kept on complaining how much better it was in Egypt because, at least, even if they were contemptuous slaves of the Egyptians, they were fed; they have shelter, they were safe. Lot’s wife is also a god illustration. Remember when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, God told Lot and his household to walk away and not look back. But Lot’s wife could not resist, she looked back and was transformed into a pillar of salt.

Looking back may lead to going back!

The only reason why we should look back is to learn from our mistakes, and, that should be only a glancing look.

So, always look forward and focus on what's ahead…