If I Only Knew Then...What I Know Now!

Life is full of choices and the choices we make always change one’s life.  As we make those decisions, each of us hope that it is the right choice.  This is so true, especially when we begin to consider what we have accomplished in light of what we have experienced.  Life is full of unique experiences that teach and guild us each and every day.  And sometimes or perhaps all the time… our experiences help to transform who we are and what we believe. 

In a certain way, life always provides us with moments in which to sit back and reflect on what has happen.  To see things in the rear view mirror of life, 20/20, fair assessment and somehow evaluate those events and the major decisions that we have made.   You see what when right, what when wrong and how to improve the next time …if it comes again.  To be fair, we must admit that some of our decisions have been good ones, while others were less than favorable or just plain disasters… and that’s another story. 

The hallmark of a person who is comfortable with themselves is the process of self-evaluation.   And making improvements in one’s life is noteworthy, inspiring and truly remarkable.   One of the most powerful statements I continue to hear today… “If I only knew then, what I know now.” In other words, I would have done things differently, be in a better place, chose a different career path, lived in particular neighborhood, and worked on other things. 

Making a sound and right decision is always the goal.  To make that decision based upon the facts, gathered information, feedback and from past experiences.  However, that is not always the case, for many people make critical decisions without really getting the full story or understanding the whole situation.  They make decisions based on faulty information, irrational thinking, and panering to special interest groups.   And of course, some people are only interested in making sure that others do not know or see the entire picture.  In other words… let’s keep them in the dark.

It was George Washington Carver, the famous American scientist, botanist, educator and inventor at Tuskegee University, who once stated … “How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong… Because someday in life you will have been all of these.”