Beginnings

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; “
Robert Frost -

You're walking along when suddenly things seem different. You look around and, without preamble, realize that you are, actually, looking around. You turn and look behind you and see, really see, where you have been. You see what you passed by, the path you took, the obstacles that failed to deter you. You look and see, with the clarity of hindsight, how you addressed those obstacles and moved beyond them. And you realize, because now you are truly looking and finally are able, you didn't see everything.

So you look ahead, now, with the new found wisdom of clarity. You see the path before you, and squint to make out all the obstacles. You formulate a plan in your head; a plan for each one, infallibly based on lessons from the path behind. Except, in the distance, you can't see all the obstacles. You don't have a way to tell what lies ahead, not completely. The path behind may give you clues, but you are just now seeing them.

It isn't about looking ahead in preparation, or behind in regret and pride. Look around you now. The one lesson you failed to learn was to see where you were in the moment.

It's ok to wander. Its ok to explore. Take the moment when you become aware and use that awareness to see what lies around you, now. The path behind is, well, behind you. The path ahead is unknown. Enjoy where you are now. There is no other time to do so.