The
Road Not Taken?
by Don McGlinn
We have all heard and even at times said that if we had hindsight
at the time life would be very different.
Actions, inactions, decisions, thoughts and intentions spurred
on by emotions, especially strong emotions, are rarely for
our highest good. At the time we can justify our positions,
especially if those emotions are positive ones like Love.
Looking back with hindsight, however, very often produces
a very different image and one that causes a great deal of
anxiety, guilt, regret or even remorse in people.
My hindsight caused me to go inward, to reflect on events
and my responsibility. Having now done that, I feel it is
time to share my insight into one of life's more interesting
subjects, the ability to see into our lives and introduce
hindsight when it is most needed, at the time things are happening.
How is this possible you ask? Well, it isn't easy, but
the the steps are relatively simple and involve some insight
into what is happening around you. Life gives us indicators,
sign posts of the path we have chosen. Sometimes those signs
are subtle, sometimes they are IN YOUR FACE. The really prominant
signs often come when we haven't listened to the subtle
signs which are the ones we either miss, or choose to ignore.
The choice to ignore is the one I will be focussing on. The
ones we miss we weren't meant to see at the time, however,
as you learn to listen to the ones that you used to ignore,
it is then that the ones that used to be missed become seen.
As humans, we have pretty good insight. All of us do. That
however, doesn't mean we all listen or take notice, but
it is there none the less. That insight comes often at the
very beginning. It may be a subtle feeling, it may be a word
said, or a small action that shows us something. It is often
reinforced at least two other ways to make the message clear.
Let me give you an example of these strings of signs and how
it is easy to ignore them. The most common event where these
signs are ignored is in relationships. When you first meet
someone you are emotionally and physically attracted to them.
But, you also get a gut feeling about them. Often that gut
feeling is at odds with your attraction.
It is then reinforced with that person doing or saying something
in the first few days/weeks that makes you sit back a little.
This is where it gets interesting and very human.
We CHOOSE to ignore those signs because in our minds, we don't
want to listen, especially when our surface mind says 'compromise'
and 'change' and 'overlook' and 'I really
like' because our attractions appear stronger and more
in need of attention than what we dismiss as vague indications.
Add to that the thoughts of 'I can deal with this'
or 'what if I am wrong' or sometimes even 'but
this one is different.' Emotions of need, want, desire,
lust and love very often overpower the insight we are given
in the beginning. As time marches on, we get more and more
indications of that original gut feeling. Very often we choose
to continue to ignore those messages.
At some point, the messages become so loud and so clear, we
can no longer ignore them. Very often at that point we look
back and reflect on that original gut feeling and say, I knew
in the beginning, if only I had listened!
Listening, however, at that point in time (the beginning)
takes a lot of courage and strength of conviction in your
faith that what your gut feeling tells you is to be acted
on immediately. As humans, that is a huge leap of faith and
one that we all don't take at different times in our lives.
Making mistakes is part of being here. The measure of a person
is not whether they make mistakes or not, it is whether they
learn from them or not. Experience is what tells you when
to listen and what you should do. Will you do that every time?
Probably not. Have I? No, of course not. Sometimes it takes
a few times of the same messages before we get the lesson.
Hindsight is given to us not as something to make us feel
bad or have regret, but rather as an invaluable learning tool
that we can measure present and future life experiences to
help us against repeating the mistake. Sometimes, however,
instead of learning, we build walls which cloud the lesson,
but that is a subject for another day.
Look at your life, reflect on the times that you have had
that insight in the beginning. I am not just talking about
relationships here, I am talking about all life situations.
Carefully go over the events and pat yourself on the back
for the times you did listen, and reflect on the times you
didn't listen and how you can learn from that.
Above all else, remember we have choice and that choosing
to be happy and doing what feels right will always make life
a wonderful experience.
Even when we sometimes get a sideways swing.
Don
McGlinn is an Australian Inner Peace guide with over fifteen
years of experience. For more information, email him at don@peaceinside.com
Choices
