Supposedly all of us have asked ourselves whether there is something that we would do over again if we had the chance. 

YES, you are absolutely right: we cannot change the past! But we can benefit from a critical self-reflection in order to do better in the future. Looking back doesn´t mean we are LOST in our memories and unable to live in the presence. It is rather a good sign of a focussed and decisive personality.  

If there was a reset button for life, would do change anything? 

Would I do that again? 

The 'Would I do it again?' question has a limited scope since it attaches to a specific situation or happening. This is a actually a good question for each of us to ask. We can benefit from a critical self-reflection about our motivations, actions, and consequences of these actions. 

Friedrich Nietzsche, the great German philosopher, cultural critic, poet and philologist, got one step further and asked the following: 

"What, if some day or night a demon were to steal after you into your loneliest loneliness and say to you: 'This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more; and there will be nothing new in it, but every pain and every joy and every thought and sigh and everything unutterably small or great in your life will have to return to you, all in the same succession and sequence! (...)' 

Would you not throw yourself down and wish that demon had never appeared? Or would you be that well disposed craving nothing more wishfully  than this ultimate eternal confirmation to live the exact same life over and over again? 

Even painful memories can be turned into a positive some day

I go with Julie Wright here: 'What doesn´t kill us gives us something new to write about.'

Remember that every step you have made in the past has led you to what you have become today. I bet there are a lot of things in your present life you wouldn´t wanna miss! That´s it. When something negative occurs we don´t look at the shape of things to come in the future, we just focus on the current problem and are unable to take any pleasure in it. 

Regardless, even the biggest mistake will pave our future way. 

Self-reflection is an awesome cleaning process!  

Sometimes it is good to just stop and ponder. 

It's very easy for busy ambitious people like us to get lost in the day, week, month... Some of us are so driven that we blink and a whole year is gone. When New Year´s Eve comes closere we are like 'Oh what? Another year has passed by. Can´t believe that!' 

I have absolutely no issue with being driven, creative, inventive and productive. I, myself, LOVE to accomplish and engage in new ideas, activities and opportunities continuously. But I also like very much to feel connected to who I am and the people I conscientiously choose to include in my life. 

“If I had to live again I would do exactly the same thing.
Of course I have regrets, but if you are 60 years old and you have no regrets then you haven’t  lived.” Christy Moore  

We all make mistakes! 

As a matter of course all people make mistakes at some point in their lives. These mistakes make up part of our memories, thoughts and mindset. 

Reflecting on our memories and the past helps to free our mind and wash away all the negative memories. 

Through self-reflection, we can get rid of negative attachments and attain a peaceful state of the mind. Then we may be able to think more clearly and make informed decisions to avoid repeating past mistakes. 

The supreme discipline: try to laugh about your own failure. It puts mistakes into the right perspective and takes off the emotional baggage. 

Looking back keeps us grounded. 

I strongly believe that I have a hand in my own destiny, although I obviously can´t have total control about it since there are things in Earth which are more powerful than us. It actually occurs with some aspect of design rather than total default. Even simply thinking through who I wish to be in 5 years is helpful for making important decisions that lead me down a preferred path. 

Self-reflection also improves our social skills! 

It may, at times, be useful to think that our actions don´t really matter to others, but of course they do. Don´t we wanna be a righteous person who deserves a certain respect? 

In order to be that person you would like to be in the eye´s of others, you have to review your behavior from time to time and ponder improvements. This includes showing more gratitude and appreciation wherever possible. 

To be honest I am very selective about the people with whom I spend my time. At one point of time I decided that I want my relationships - both in my private and professional life - to be deep, fun and meaningful. That means that I have to contribute significantly to the party. 

Again, we all make mistakes - even in the relationships we most care about (because we didn´t know better at that specific point of time) - but then it´s about doing one step back, being self-critical, forget about the own ego and fix it. 

Looking back isn´t easy sometimes. But it´s going to make us even more human. 

* * * * * * *  The end   * * * * * * * 

Sometimes it is good to just stop and ponder. We can benefit from a critical self-reflection in order to keep us grounded and don´t make the same mistakes twice. Looking back is also an act of self-esteem since our personality is shaped by the sum of our experiences. Accepting even the supposedly wrong decisions we have made in the past, helps us to feel more confident. 'Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.'   

Thanks for your attention and happy weekend, Steemians!
I´ll go surfing now and leave you with another quote from Nietzsche...
Enjoy the dance :)
Marly -

Picture sources:
Title: https://i.ytimg.com/
Girl at forest: http://kizitora.jp/
Animated GIF: http://mediaresources.idiva.com/
Rather look back quote: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/
Surfer girl looking back: http://cruiserbikesreviews.com/
Treat others quote: http://theoplife.com/
Music quote: http://68.media.tumblr.com/