Things I Wish my Mother had Said… (or maybe she did)

The Past is the Past
Or
Live in the Now

My mother always told me to live each day. Don’t fuss about the past because what’s done is done. Each moment that you live, you are propelling yourself into your present. The present is where life is lived.
Live your life in the present moment as much as you can. It's great to have dreams for your future. In fact, I think it's necessary to have big dreams. That's how we motivate ourselves to move towards those things and experiences in life that we want. However, don't get so fixated on the specific details of your dream. Life sees the big picture, to which we are not always privy. As we grow and mature, hopefully, we begin to see that life always puts us right where we're meant to be. We are bringing experiences to us that match the things our soul needs in order to grow.
Is life always going to be easy or perfect? Nope, but remembering that I am always where I am meant to be has given me a sense of peace. Anything life sends me, I know I have the capacity to handle because if I didn't, I wouldn’t be experiencing it at all. We are always stronger than we think we are!
If we can just know in our hearts that every moment we are doing the best we can, then there is nothing more anyone can ask of us. So, if in each moment we are doing our very best, then even mistakes we have made along the way are OK. They may have served to guide us to better actions in the future. Perhaps they have taught us something about ourselves. But, no matter what, it’s all good because we honestly know we have done our best.
We can carry that even further by saying that if I’m always doing my best, then I suppose others are doing the best they can with their knowledge at any given time. We can then, perhaps, stop judging and criticizing other’s choices. We can cut other people a bit of slack for things we possibly find offensive or displeasing.
There is truly no point in mulling over or trying to dissect your past. You might never get it all figured out, for life is fluid and ever-changing and we are always growing and learning. Your time would be better spent on living in your Now, where you can actually live and make corrections. Be open and observe memories from the past. Honor them and enjoy them if they are fond memories, but you do not have to let the less pleasing ones trouble you.
You don't need to go back and fix anything from your past. What's done is done. Furthermore, you already carry the vibes of unresolved issues from your past into your present. Your present moment is the only place where life is being lived. So, at any moment you can decide to look at things differently and to make changes in your outlook and/or opinions. You never have to make reparations for things in the past. Simply resolve to do better and make better choices in your now.
Your past brought you to your present and made you the wonderful person you are today. You should LOVE who you are. You need not be perfect, but ponder this. You are perfect BECAUSE of your imperfections. It is through your mistakes that you learn and grow and that is what life is all about.
So, ride the wave. Life is full of ups and downs. Without the down times, how could we begin to appreciate the ups? When you're feeling low realize that you are on the cusp of growth. Life is showing you things that you may not particularly care to see, but if you can make the conscious effort to say to yourself, "hey, I don't like this or that...what is it I would like?" Then you can little by little shift your focus to the things you DO want. As you practice controlling the only real thing you can control....your thoughts, then you will begin to see your life change in seemingly remarkable ways. This is our true power...it's within each and every one of us.