July 14. “Your past is important because it brought you to where you are, but as important as your past is, it is not nearly as important as the way you see your future.” (Dr. Tony Campolo)

Everything that I am, all aspects of my personality, my station in life, how people think of me and so on – are all the product of my past. Every experience that I have had, every decision I have made has lead me to this point in my life. I think it is very important to understand my past, and the role that certain events have played in shaping me. Having that understanding makes me more self-aware, and more able to deal with my present. This quote, though, reminds me that while all of that is important it isn’t as important as the way I see my future.

I can make my future whatever I want it to be. Where I am today, and all that has happened to me in the past only defines my starting point. It doesn’t define where my finish line will be, nor does it define what paths I will take to get there.

As I am sitting here this morning, thinking about my short and long term future, I am feeling very good. I know where I am in life, and I have a good understanding of how I got here. And, I have a good idea of where I want my life to be in 1, 5 and 10 years. I know how much longer I plan to work, and I know what I want to do with my life when getting up at 5:00am is no longer on the daily agenda. And, I am optimistic about that future.

There will be many twists and turns in the road. There will be times when I take steps backward rather than forward. There will be times when I am frustrated at my current state of affairs because of decisions I have already made, or some that I will make in the future. But I will still be optimistic because I know that at any point, I can alter my path and make new, better decisions that will continue to propel me in the direction I want to go.

My reflection today is on optimism and hope. As long as I have optimism and hope about my future, all things are possible.