Looking Through the Windshield

Many days I will listen to spiritual podcasts on my way to work. I find it gives me a peaceful, positive energy to start the day. Well, today's discussion was about looking forward. The speaker said, "You are intended to not dwell on the past, but look towards what's coming in the future. Did you ever wonder why the windshield is so large, but the rearview mirror is so small? It's because there are bigger and more important things coming your way than what's already passed by." This really stuck with me all day today. Usually when something stays in my thoughts, I feel I need to pay attention and examine it further.

How many times have we thought about things that've happened to us in the past? Maybe how someone wronged us, a relationship failed, or how we were let go from a job. It's hard not to think about those "if only..." moments. For example, I worked in a school district for 10 years. I was happy there. When new administration came along, I was let go. I was devastated. Surely I'd be hired back, I thought. I can't possibly be meant to work somewhere else. I was RIF'ed 3 times, and kept getting hired back until that last time. I was angry, hurt, and felt very bitter. I felt heartbroken to not be returning to my "home" with my teacher friends that next fall. I just couldn't understand why I kept getting hurt and disappointed.

Flash forward several years and I am now teaching for my 3rd year in a great district in which I can also call my home. Looking back, I can clearly see the purpose of my having to be ousted from that previous district. If I hadn't been forced out, I'd have never left. I would never have moved on to my new district and been able to touch the lives of my students these past few years. What if I had stayed bitter and dwelled on how I felt wrongly let go?

We need to not be dwelling on those wrongs in our past. We aren't meant to do that. We are meant to keep moving forward; keep going. Just like drivng... If you're trying to find your way to a new location, and you keep watching your rearview mirror, what's going to happen?? Yep, you'll probably miss your turn and could get lost on the wrong path. That's why we need to keep our "eyes on the road", and look to the future.  I certainly don't want to miss my turn or shortcut to my destination because I'm too worried on what's going on behind me. Maybe you feel the same? Maybe you can think of a time where had you watched the rearview mirror, you would've missed better things?