Forging Our Own Path

We often think that our destiny is predetermined, or if it isn’t, that most of the time the circumstances and experiences we’ve had up to that point end up steering us in a certain direction.

That direction is, therefore, heavily influenced. It is influenced by our past experiences, our fears, and even our mistakes.

We view our mistakes in a way that doesn’t help us avoid them in the future—or even prevents us from being constantly conditioned by the past.

How many times have we refrained from doing something simply because, on a previous occasion when we had a similar experience, the outcome—or something about it—wasn’t to our liking?

We should view this simply for what it is: a past experience. Of course, keeping in mind what we’ve already been through in life and our past experiences helps us navigate life more successfully.

For example, if as children we tried something different and didn’t feel we could do it well, or that we had a natural inclination toward that task or role, our mind quickly seeks other alternatives to minimize that less pleasant or enjoyable experience.

Our mind always seeks to keep us in a state of “control.” And that emotional control ends up being a trigger. We shouldn’t, therefore, quickly give in to the temptation to give up on something just because it didn’t go well the first time.

I look back at some situations in my life, and I realize now that this has happened to me more often than I’d like to admit.
Past experiences ended up shaping my behavior, which in turn shaped the way I view life and put it into perspective.

If we lack the courage and determination to try something again—even if it was a complete failure in the past—we’ll never know if we might have been able to succeed someday.

And this "big umbrella" includes not only our life experiences and hobbies, but also our interpersonal relationships. Many times I’ve found myself giving up on myself, simply because I had previously fallen completely short of my own expectations.

But the magic isn’t in doing things right, or in easily overcoming obstacles, or in taking detours… the real magic lies in being present in the moment. Knowing that that moment is unique. I have the opportunity to do something that could be transformative, but it might also come to nothing.

Sitting idly by, afraid, without taking risks, stuck in one place—or not even letting my imagination run wild—is simply a self-defeating attitude.

Even with the experiences we’ve had, that doesn’t mean we stop discovering something new. Something new in things we previously thought we already knew everything about. Because every moment is a moment. And every second should be seen as unique, just as it is.

Not wasting the opportunities that life—which is simply unique—presents to us daily and continuously.

^{Image by wal_172619 from Pixabay
Original text written by Hive account@xrayman in Portuguese and translated with DeepL.com (free version)}