When I was a young man, 21 to be exact, I had an opportunity to meet with a retired executive from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. He was a former shoe salesman turned banker, and quite an interesting personality. He was very focused on personal motivation and team dedication. I asked him for some advice.
My challenge at the time is that I had a lot of angst about my past. A funny notion to me know, because what past did I really have at 21 years of age? Anyway, I was worried about mistakes I made in high school. I was worried about missed opportunity, things that I could have done better. I might have been able to set myself up for success if I had just focused on the right things, not been the class clown so much, and actually did my homework occasionally.
This man asked me to consider an analogy. He described my life as a mountain that I was just starting out on. The mountain was steep, difficult to climb. There would be a lot of treacherous terrain for me to pass through, many rivers to ford and the going would be tough. He said I had a very large pack on my back. That pack was full of giant, very heavy rocks. He said, Guy – my advice to you is very simple:
Drop the Rocks
He did not give me much explanation. He just wrapped up the conversation at that point and his wife whisked me away to a dinner that was prepared for that evening. I did not get to ask follow up questions, he just wished me well and said that my journey would be a whole lot easier if I was not carrying a giant sack of rocks around with me. Since that time, the concept of climbing a path up a long steep mountain has stuck with me. I also never really could figure out how to just “drop the rocks.” I have spent many fruitless days worried about the past, concerned about things that I could of and should have done.
It was only recently that the concept of dropping the rocks has become a reality for me. It was the 365 commitment of waking each day and contemplating, and praying on how to make this day the best possible that really got me there. Personal past is good, only for the stories and lessons that it generates. Personal past actually means nothing when it comes to the day before you and the now. You are not going to be able to realize the future self you have a vision for if you are continuously looking backward. Regret is absolutely the enemy of the now.
So forget all that happened yesterday, the day before, last month, or last year. Today, right now, what lies before you in the next 12 hours is the most important thing you have to worry about. What can you do today progress up that mountain today? Focus on what is to be, and who you could become. The past is gone. No white haired crazy scientist in a Dolorian is going to come and help you fix your past. Time to move on. Drop the rocks, rise at dawn, and embrace the suck!
Guy Reams
Great story. It’s “now time”!