Cartoonists quite often dispense sage advice through the voices of their characters. Such is the case today when we are told –
“I always get to where I am going by walking away from where I have been.” (Winnie the Pooh – A.A. Milne))
Often in life we arrive mentally at a place that we really don’t like or in which we would rather not be. That is when the advice of Winnie the Pooh should be headed – just walk away from it. Leave it behind. Get to where you are going.
Maybe you have arrived at a place of sadness, caused by the loss of a loved one. Maybe you have just broken up with someone that you thought you loved. Perhaps you just lost a job or didn’t get a promotion that you thought that you deserved. It could be that you made your best effort at some pursuit in life or in sports but fell short of your goal. Whatever the reason that you have arrived at a bad place mentally, it is important to walk away from there and towards where you want to be.
Perhaps the words of another quote that I saw recently will help –
Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness. (Steve Maraboli)
It is important to have that cathartic cry, to give in for the moment to the emotion. It is also critical to forgive yourself (see my post https://normsmilfordblog.com/2021/08/12/forgive-yourself/) if you think the mistake was yours. Then, it is just as important to turn the moment into a learning time, to glean from the event knowledge that will help you avoid making the same mistakes in the future. Finally, it is important to join Pooh in walking away from where you are and towards where you want to be.
The imagery of your tears (that good cry) watering and nurturing your future is a powerful way to let go of that past place and head towards a new and happier place.
So go ahead and let it out. Get it out. Then take a moment to forgive yourself and create a little bit of knowledge from the situation and move on. Walk away from where you have been. Get to where you are going.
Have a great weekend. Follow the Pooh.

One of your best Norm. N. Green