What Do You Think About the Most - Your Future or Your Past

A new year is usually the time we reflect on our past.  It is quite normal to wonder what would have been different if you had or not done something.  If the past year was traumatic, we might wonder what would have happened if we had made a different decision.

This is a blogging challenge called Secret Subject Swap and I was asked to answer this question posted by Minette at Southern Belle Charm:  If you could go back 20 years for one hour and change the rest of your life, what would you change and why?


I thought about this at great length and came up empty.  My life has been a tumultuous one.  Often the storms would come one after the other but many times they would be happening at the same time.  Every year had turbulence and it would be impossible to attempt changing anything in the course of one hour.  Complicated.  Exhausting.  

To be clear, I cannot think of any decision that would have had a different outcome because most of the traumas were not the results of my decisions -- rather they were things that happened TO me; i.e. cancer, theft, abuse.

One of the questions I am asked most often is "How did you forgive the people who did those terrible things to you?"  My answer is always the same.  "I chose to forgive.  Choosing not to forgive would only hurt me more."









After writing my memoir, Battered Hope, my podcast was launched.  On Never Ever Give Up Hope my guests share how they overcame trauma in their lives.  This show and my book have touched the lives of thousands globally.  Without the experiences I had overcome, I would never have been able to be an encouragement and a voice for those hurting.

Isn't this the reason we on put on earth?  To learn, to grow, and to help others?  As painful as my life has been, I could never have replaced the lessons learned any other way.

I have consistently maintained the attitude that tomorrow will be a better day.  No matter what happens today, tomorrow is the opportunity to change what might have gone upside down today.

Last month I shared my post THIS IS NOT THE END OF YOUR STORY.  No matter what goes wrong or how difficult things may be -- it is NOT the end of your story.  We all have the right and the ability to make a difference to the end of our own story.

Consequently, the answer to the question would be:

I would not choose to change anything

Here are the other contributors this month -- check out their stories -- make a new friend!  You will be glad you did.

Baking In A Tornado
Cognitive Script
The Lieber Family Blog
Part-time Working Hockey Mom
The Bergham Chronicles

My Brand of Crazy
Southern Belle Charm
Climaxed
The Blogging 911