I chose the verbiage “move forward” instead of “move on” because moving on creates the idea that we have to move on to something. Whether that is another person, another job, another night. However, most of the time, we do not have something tangible to move onto; we just move forward.
It is first necessary to note that everything feels amplified in its midst. Take any lousy grade, a rough hangover, a tough day at work, etc. Feels like the end of the world, right? And some days, it really is. But often, by the next day, or the weekend, or the next exam, you have moved forward.
Many of these “hard times” are defined by a period of drought where we feel sad, harmful, or are approaching a difficult situation that forbids us from experiencing the true joys of life.
However, sometimes the experiences or stages that we want to move forward from are not always negative. We can have an excellent trip relationship, game, or even a day that we are so joyful about it seems pointless to move forward.
Regardless of the characterization or situation, it is essential to know how to move forward.
Life goes on, regardless of if we like it or not. The minute you stop looking back is the minute you can focus on what’s next. In this way, the first stage of moving forward is acceptance. To move forward from anything, you need to know what you are moving from. What happened, why, and what emotion or impact did it affect you. Often repeating the event or the feelings that followed helps one truly recognize what has happened.
Second, understand that something great is in store for you. If there is a situation that you must move forward from, there is a reason, and it is in your best interest.
Third, find something to look forward to. Whether that is a new outfit, a night out with friends, or a trip planned for 5 months away. Find anything and hang onto it with everything you got. If there is not something to look ahead to, you will constantly focus on the situation in front of you, aka the one you want to move forward from.
This has been one of the greatest lessons I have learned growing up. If you do not have something to look ahead to, you will be focused on the despair of the present moment. You will feel as if you are drowning with no air to come up to. So plan a dinner at your favorite restaurant, book a spontaneous trip, or any little endeavors that will get your mind off of your current sorrows.
Whatever step you take in your path forward, make sure to lean on your hope for your future. Hope is what got you here and what will get you through.
sent with emphasis 