What is hindsight? I’ve read definitions that say “the ability to understand an event or situation only after it has happened”. Hindsight is a form of wisdom if you actually learned something from the event or situation, after it’s over! If you learned nothing….it’s not hindsight. So what is significant about hindsight? Many times prior to engaging in an activity or situation, we don’t have enough information to make the wisest of decisions. But, we often find after the event or activity has passed, we glean information that would have influenced us differently had we had it prior to the activity.
In order to live our best life now, it’s extremely beneficial to use our hindsight. Let me pose some questions that you might consider answering if your goals have stalled and progress has reached a plateau.
What circumstances brought me to this place?
Where AM I right now?
Did I do something? Did I allow someone else to do something I shouldn’t have?
At what point did something change that led to my current circumstances?
If we answer these questions honestly, admitting what really has happened and our part that contributed to our current condition, we are able take ownership of decisions and learn from them. It’s much easier to blame others and circumstances for where we have fallen short, but that doesn’t solve the issue of why we are where we are. Honest admissions help us to put them “away” or “to bed”; to say goodbye to them permanently and behind us where they belong. But…not before we use our hindsight!!
You know, at the beginning of each new year we each attempt to use our hindsight. We tell ourselves, “last year is gone. - it’s behind us. What is ahead of us is our future and it’s a good future. But that future can only manifest when we use our hindsight and learn something from the other side of our past. That is when we can truly put it behind us and allow it to help us walk in our future.
In order to use our hindsight, we have to lose those limiting beliefs that have influenced bad and unwise decisions. To walk in our future and live our best life now, we have to truly believe that we can! That begins by not only limiting but eradicating negative chatter in our heads, often referred to as “self talk”. We have to have zero tolerance for negativity of any kind…negative thoughts, negative speech and negative behaviors. We can’t always control the thoughts that come into our heads but we can help reduce the possibilities of negativity by placing boundaries on our eye and ear “gates”. What we allow ourselves to be exposed to can greatly influence the kind of thoughts we have. We get to decide what we listen to and what we watch and see. To obtain success of any kind of worthy goal, this is absolutely necessary. What we see and hear greatly influences our thought process. Exposing ourselves to positive reinforcements lowers the chances of negative thoughts and head chatter…”self talk”. Controlling this kind of exposure won’t completely control all that we think. It is up to us as to how long negativity is allowed to remain in our head. As soon as that thought pops in our head, we have to immediately deal with it. My best approach is to say something out loud that is positive or the opposite of the negative thought. It’s impossible to think one thing and say another.
Using hindsight is a valuable tool when we are attempting goals that appear as though progress is diverted. Hindsight isn’t just about learning from our mistakes on the other side of our past, it can also be a stage for developing other strategies and approaches that will help push us toward completion of our goals. One such approach is to employ “grateful living”. “Grateful Living” is being determined to begin and end each day with gratefulness. It is being grateful for life, relationships, and the purpose of our life. Grateful Living reflects on the day and purposes to find things for which to be thankful.
“Grateful Living” is a way of thinking. Just like I mentioned before about controlling negative thoughts, “Grateful Living” chooses to think about good things. Hindsight would have us recall our past experiences and the good that came from them. You can use Hindsight at the end of every single day. Before going to bed, recount your day and recall all the good you have experienced, all the good you encountered, all the good you instigated and all the good you plan to carry into tomorrow.
Remember, Hindsight is only Hindsight if you’ve learned something from a past experience. Can negative outcomes teach us anything? Absolutely! Each experience doesn’t have to be and certainly won’t be a positive one. But each experience can teach us something. What you are taught by that experience, goes into your toolbox for future reference and use. That is Hindsight! If we fail to learn something from every experience, good or bad, we set ourselves up for the same failures over and over as well as the frustration that comes with those repeated behaviors. To live your best life now, begin your day with the Hindsight you gained from the day before!!!
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