Reader,
What happens when your big ideas don’t turn out as you envisioned?
How do you move forward in success? Here is the story of how I did...
Several years back we made a decision to relocate our family into a low-income neighborhood to make a difference. It was a risky move. Watch me describe the experience.
That decision turned out to produce many negative unforeseen consequences (including thousands of dollars in home repairs and family safety concerns).
Although our experience wasn’t entirely negative, we eventually opted to move our family to a more stable environment 18 months later.
Here are two ways I moved on from that costly decision:
1) Take Ownership
During those 18 months, we unexpectantly spent tens of thousands of dollars in home repairs. Now we could have blamed the home inspectors for not catching all the issues before purchase. It would be tempting to blame the realtor for showing us the property. Or vilify the seller for putting the house on the market (honestly, I was angry at times). But if I were to continue to focus on their decisions, I would not be able to recognize my own errors in judgement. So instead I focused on how I could improve. It is important to focus on the things that we can control. Others may have wronged you, but focusing on the actions of others will only lead to bitterness. Blame and excuses keep you stuck, but focusing on yourself empowers you to make different decisions in the future.
2) Press on, don’t look back
Two years have passed, and we are still making payments for home repairs on a house we don't live in. This is a tough pill to swallow! When bad consequences persist, it's tempting to look back on past decisions with regret. But I cannot change the past. I had to shift my focus to the present and move on. Don’t let your past decisions define you or paralyze you from making future decisions. There is so much to look forward to. You must move on. Your family needs you to move forward!
Are you letting regret from past decisions hold you back?
Watch the video here
Feel free to respond to this email. Would like to hear your thoughts and feedback!
Until next time,
Andre
