Have you ever looked back on your life and felt a surge of regret over past mistakes and lost opportunities?

It’s quite common for people to rue the past and then feel discouraged over their future possibilities. A disturbing inner voice tells us all is lost. It says we’ve made a bad beginning and now we’ve shut ourselves off from a new and better life.

But voices of wisdom from across the centuries tell us none of this is true. We are not born perfect, so of course our pasts have not been perfect. But our life is supposed to be a “school for our higher education” and we are meant to be transformed by our experiences — especially the more challenging ones — into a higher level of being.

Most heartening of all is the message that at any moment when we can come back to ourselves, we can start fresh and begin heading in a new direction. This moment — right now — is always the moment of change.

Words of Encouragement Shared by the Wise

Any time we start falling into the trap of thinking, “It’s too late,” we would do well to remember this powerful truth:

You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending. — Unknown

When we think about it, of course it’s obvious: there’s no way we can change what happened back then. But this is a new moment, and we can begin right now, where we are, with all our faults and broken dreams, and set off on our way to a better future.

Here are some similar statements from across time that tell us regardless of what brought us to this moment, this moment right now is the opportunity for us to change course:

The hour is not past. Why will you put off your resolution? Arise, begin this very moment, and say, “Now is the time to do. Now is the time to fight. Now is the proper time for amendment.” — Thomas a Kempis (circa 1379 – 1471)

Never let us be discouraged with ourselves. It is not when we are conscious of our faults that we are the most wicked, on the contrary, we are less so. We see by a brighter light, and let us remember for our consolation, that we never perceive our sins till we begin to cure them. — Francois Fenelon (1651 – 1715)

You have not known what you are, you have slumbered upon yourself all your life… Whoever you are! Claim your own. — Walt Whitman (1819 – 1892)

And finally, here’s a statement from OneJourney founder, Guy Finley on the importance of making the brighter choices now that lead to a better life:

We will never again hope, in vain, for a “better time to come” once we realize this spiritual truth: the character and quality of all our moments ahead are determined by what we give ourselves to in the now. — Guy Finley (1949)

It’s All About Where We Focus Our Attention

At any moment we have a choice. Familiar voices of discouragement are always ready to drag us down. We listen to them out of habit, and maybe because sometimes it seems easier to just give up. For whatever reason, we focus our attention on messages from the lower nature that keep us from fulfilling our Divinely given purpose and potential in life.

But switching where we place our attention can change everything. And we don’t have to go into imagination about where to place it, or become a proponent of positive thinking. All we have to do is place our attention in the present moment. This is where everything we need is waiting for us.

First, by focusing on now we become aware of the intrusion of thoughts that whisper doom. Our new awareness allows us to see how useless these thoughts are and that they are based on nothing real. Just seeing this starts draining them of their power over us.

Second, it frees our mind to start noticing the messages of higher help that have always been trying to get through to us but that have been blocked by inner noise.

If we keep working at developing our attention, who we are, the person who meets each new moment, will change, and our future can’t help but change with it.

On Guy Finley’s Life of Learning website (www.guyfinley.org) you can find helpful information and inner-life exercises you can use to change the focus of your attention. I urge you to take advantage of this wonderful resource.

Meanwhile, here’s an article by Guy about making new choices in life. It’s titled You Do Not Have to Accept Your Present Life-Level and you can read it here. I know you will find it to be inspiring and filled with practical wisdom.

Best Wishes,

Dr. Ellen Dickstein
The OneJourney Project

PS: You are invited to join Guy Finley’s FREE talks on these life-transforming ideas. All his talks are livestreamed and archived! For details visit guyfinley.org/peace