Yesterday is History

"I am amazed by how many individuals mess up every new day with yesterday. They insist on bringing into today the failures of yesterday and in so doing, they pollute a potentially wonderful day." I having been reading The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. Now I know that I am not married but this book could help me know how to act towards my future husband. The author makes a good point with the above quote. I have done that as well and messed up many opportunities. When I got out of college, I wanted to immediately apply to graduate school but didn't. I kept putting it off. I had my reasons for it. One: I felt that I wasn't good enough for grad school and that it was only for very educated people. Two: I was already knee deep (or let's say neck deep) in student loans that had to be paid back. I didn't want another financial burden. Three: I was making 1,000 dollars a month being a first year teacher at my former job.

Because of my history of low self-esteem, and money troubles, I wasn't going to go through with it. If I had done it in 2003, I would probably be close to finishing grad school by now. However, one day in 2005, I told myself that I would apply and see what happens. I send in necessary paperwork, wrote a paper, and then six months later, I got an acceptance letter! I was SHOCKED!

When I applied for undergraduate college back in 1997, I had a passion to go to NC State Design School. I applied to NC State and Meredith College in hopes of staying in my hometown because most of my friends were staying there as well. I got two rejection letters from the two schools stating that my SAT Scores were too low for acceptance. It hit me hard and I knew that I was never good enough to begin with. It wasn't until college, I took a class of Testing and Measurement and my professor stated that the SAT were a norm-reference test. I felt a lot better and wished that they had told me that in high school. Clearly, I thought that the SATs measured if you were smart or stupid. Barton College took me because they didn't accept people based on SAT scores but looked at GPAs. My GPAs was in the average range so I was accepted.

I have learned that we can't waste our day with regrets. I remember what Cameron Diaz said in her chick flick movie The Sweetest Thing: "Regrets are such a waste of time."

Live everyday as if it is the first day of your life. We can't let history condemn us. History will always be there staring at us in the face but we accept it, learn from it, and move on. I know there are many things that I have done that I am not proud of but I just let it stay in the past and make a fresh start. Many people are afraid of moving on because they think that the past will keep on occurring to them. For example: I have gotten dumped by every guy I have dated except for one that I dated in high school. I started to think if I dated another guy I will get dumped by him as well because it is a pattern. Later I realized that it isn't me, they got the problems and they should have had their head screwed on straight before trying to date me or take me out.

Watch the movie Elizabethtown starring Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst. They show a very good example of leaving history where it belongs and living a new day problem free.

Ever had this dilemma before?