*Myself, contemplating the great truths of life…like lunch… Dec 2016 – Giza, Egypt

Fear.

You’re doing it because of fear.

You’re not doing it because of fear.

Any way you slice it. Your fear is playing a critical role in your life, your decision making, and ultimately your future.

Today I was invited to an introductory seminar for the Landmark Forum. You can read about them here.

Over three hours, our guest speaker, Sharon, walked us through an exercise in identifying a trait within us that could be holding us back. Through several steps, we broke down the barriers both real and otherwise that could be keeping us from moving ahead. From there we developed a strong enough why, “a possibility” in this case, to make a change.

As I wrote in The Few Who Do… when would now be a good time to start? You don’t want to should all over yourself now do you?

Overall, it was a captivating, informative session.

What struck me, however, was one particular anecdote our speaker shared with the group.

Moving the lectern in an animated fashion from side to side to prove her point, she asked the group, “where is your past?”. Someone quickly responded, but with the apparent wrong answer. It’s a semi trick question you see, and the way she delivered the answer was thought provoking.

“Your past is in your future.” she said, again moving the lectern.

Sit with that for a second.

Your past experiences: hurts, pains, pleasures, triumphs, successes…all of it… is what you are projecting into the future as you make decisions today.

Your past is in your future.

It’s only through diving headfirst into that reality, and working through your fears in the present, that you will begin to create a future that isn’t weighed down by your past.

Weighed down by your fear.

A different take on a common theme in personal development to be sure, but the delivery certainly forced me to look at it in a new light.

As Donna L wrote here, “Fears we face in the external world are actually providing insight into our internal worlds. If we listen to fear’s messages, we can turn what appears to be negative into a positive experience by allowing fear to help us recognize the moments it comes into our lives and why.”

So I ask you…fellow traveller…where is your past?

See you on the journey.