Don't Stumble Over The Past

The past is in the past; I've always been a firm believer of that. Although we must use the past to improve our future, we must remember not to stumble on it, or allow the past to bring us down. This is something that has been brought to my attention more and more lately.
In the first few months in college while meeting new people and sharing your story, there's a common routine of the questions exchanged. A typical conversation looks something like this.

Stranger: "So what are you majoring in?"
Me: "Physics, Atmospheric Science and minoring in Russian Studies."
Stranger:  "Oh wow... what do you plan on doing with that?"
Me: "[Enter story about wanting to be an astronaut, but set on being a diplomat now]"
Stranger: "Well good luck!", OR, "Huh, interesting..."

Having to encounter a constant reminder of my education every day, I can't help but to reconsider my past. It isn't a secret to anyone that the USAFA(Air Force Academy) was where I was headed until I chose not to attend due to naive reasons (never let another individual influence your decision when it comes to school!) Some may say that this mistake of not going to the Academy has to be my biggest "regret", while I correct them and say it's possibly one of the most important "lessons" that I've learned.

Mistakes. We all make these. However, none us have mistakes. "Mistake" is a simple word that carries a complex meaning. Whether or not you define a mistake as a "regret" or a "lesson learned", it's what separates those who still live in the past and those who go far in life.

If I moped around and allowed my mistake at the time to be a regret today, I wouldn't be experiencing college at all, I wouldn't be meeting the people I am, and I wouldn't have any motivation to move forward with my goals.Sure, it's easy to just lament the days where you thought everything was going perfect for you, but you must remember that we live a life... Life is full of regrets and lessons learned. Why have more regrets than lessons learned?

Having the attitude and realization that mistakes are nothing but lessons learned, allow us to move forward and to be motivated to move forward; whereas those who choose to declare mistakes as regrets catch themselves in holes that were dug behind them.

We're in college. We're here to be thinking about our future, to be doing for our future, and simply to be enjoying the present. I'm not sure what you experienced at your orientation for college, but my future was stressed. Nothing was mentioned of my past. The only significant importance that affected my college experience thus far would be my acceptance to college. And that should be the only significant importance. (*May it not be forgotten that your past mistakes also define said lessons learned. These are also very significant for our college experience, as we learn to grow and to become wiser, and not to make the same dumb, naive, and reckless mistakes.)

Moving forward. Pursuing our passion. That's why we're here at college.
Asking "what if". Lamenting the old days. That's why people get off track.


It's simple guys. Make the best of your situation. The past is in the past; don't allow old holes that were dug catch you in a trap on your path to your goals. Holes in paths always have enough space on the trail to guide right around it. We can't stumble over our past, because when we do, the path you were following tends to get more narrow, thus ridding of much guidance around the holes that were dug in our past and getting stuck.

If life were a forest, metaphorically, I'd aim to get to the edge to see what's out there for me. What would you do?