Acknowledge Your Past, Plan For Your Future, and Stay Grounded in the Present

I am a time traveler in my own mind. I can get bogged down in the details of my past or jet to the future mentally at a moment's notice. Tonight I am sharing my thoughts about what I find valuable about each time period, and ways that I strive to stay connected to the present. Tonight's show is sponsored by Db!

Get 10% off their amazing line of backpacks and bags by clicking this link!

What time period do you dwell in the most? Take this quiz for fun to see.

An incredible episode of Impact Theory featuring Jay Williams is reachable by clicking this link.

00: 12

Welcome to my humble podcast abode. Just a fifty-something who sparkles and glistens when she gets to talk to you guys about life, love, and a hodgepodge of other topics. Carpe diem, seize the day! Today is a gift, that's why it's called the present. There are so many sayings I've heard over the years, to remind me about living in the present moment. I appreciate these reminders, but I often modulate between my past my present and my future. It struck me that it's really important to acknowledge my past, plan for my future, but try my best to stay grounded in the present. Tonight, I want to talk to you about the importance of these three different phases of life. One of my favorite sayings is, your rearview mirror is smaller than your windshield because it's more important to see where you're going than where you've been.

1:09

I have to think of my past as a teacher that I have a love and hate relationship with elements of my past that enrich my life in a number of ways. I would be lying if I didn't say there were parts of my life that I cringe when I think about them. Let me share a couple of examples with you guys. A humorous example of acknowledging my past and learning a lesson was the day I casually strolled through the mall with my dress tucked in the back of my underwear. Yes, I gave total strangers an accidental peep show. I learned a lesson that day, stop wearing pantyhose. No seriously, it was just about always checking myself whenever I'm going out into a huge public space. Another example that comes to mind is I always struggle with the dead horse syndrome. A job that when it's time to leave, when its time to let go, or a friendship that the expiration date has passed by several years have been difficult transitions for me. I always look for ways to resuscitate the situation. I try to focus on the good elements I want to hold on to. All the while, I am there, I am slowly poisoning myself. This is one of the great lessons of my past. Recognize when it is time to separate part 1, and part 2, complete the action. Knowing when something is over and actually ending it can be two different things. I am actually embarrassed to calculate the number of years I spent in dead-end jobs, relationships and friendships. Sometimes the greatest gift you can give someone is to free them up to find their future!

2:56

Now let’s roll into planning for the future. I see this in terms of setting goals and planning the execution of those goals. Many people will set financial goals. They will invest, they may have a financial planner, and that is their total sum of planning for the future. I think that's only a piece of what needs to be done in my life. Beyond the financial piece, there is a health goal that I set for myself. It's about how many times per week I'm going to exercise and what is the duration of that exercise? In terms of eating- what lifestyle and I am going to embrace? Will I follow a vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, or pegan diet (Yes, that is a thing!) What does stress management look like for me? Will I see a therapist, journal, find a hobby, or engage in meditation? Maybe it will be a combination of all of those activities. Lastly, who will be on my board of accountability for my life? There is a great episode of Impact Theory on Youtube that I linked in my show notes. Jay Williams discusses the importance of having people that will hold you accountable for your actions! This episode is powerful and impacted my life in a major way!

4:15

I am going to dip out from the topic for a moment to acknowledge the sponsor of tonight’s episode.

Tonight’s episode is brought to you by Db! Db is a Scandinavian brand that makes backpacks and bags to help people on the move stay ready for anything. From the streets to the peaks, Db's gear is travel tested by some of the world's best athletes, adventures, and creators. Over the past decade, Db has designed and developed, released, and refined the best bags in the market. With Db's patented Hook-Up System you are able to attach smaller products to your backpack, roller, or tote.

I cannot count the number of epic fails I have had traveling with the wrong luggage.

I am teaming up with Db to exclusively offer my listeners 10% off your next purchase by using the code POD10 or going to the link in my show notes. Db, it's time to move on, time to get going!

5:19

With all of the discussion about the past and future, you might wonder how we are going to stay in the present. I found a great article by Michelle Fondin and I made an instant connection between this piece and my life. Michelle’s article is called Five Ways to Instantly Live in the Present. Honestly, I faithfully practice three of the habits she mentioned. Listen fully is a strategy Michelle lists in her article. I do this, I am committed to doing this when someone is talking to me. The grounding effect is powerful. I am not whisked away to other time periods when I am giving someone my full attention. What matters is the conversation of the moment. In addition, Michelle suggests savoring the senses and cooking is a way I do this daily. When I am in the middle of cooking something, I get lost in the smells and the visual delight of the dish. I am focusing on what is happening at that moment to make sure my intention of creating a fantastic meal comes to fruition. I love Michelle’s suggestion to appreciate the ordinary. Every day I take stock of the many blessings in my life. Simple things like having a home, transportation, family, and a job. Waking up and feeling the plush carpet under my feet and not the concrete floor I had in college is awesome!. Tethering myself to the present keeps my anxiety minimized. I have started this new habit of taking quizzes to analyze different aspects of my life. If you would like to know if you tend to live in the past, present, or future, click on the link in my show notes to find out!

 7:18

Thanks for listening this evening and as always I wish you good health, good fortune, and a goodnight! Cocoa Griot out!