Power of Remembering

About a week and half ago we celebrated Memorial Day. This holiday originally established to remember those who died in war has evolved to become a day of general expression of memory and remembrance. Remembering, or our memory, is a powerful and important tool we can use to help us be more successful in life. And too often we do not use it to our advantage. Around this Memorial Day I’d like to talk about 3 ways the power of remembering can help us reach our potential.

#1

Our memory will provide us with reminders of our mistakes. If we are wise, we can use our memory to help us learn and be better prepared to avoid repeating mistakes when faced with similar situations. Too many people (including myself!!) push aside our memory and repeat history in our lives time and time again. If we’d only remember how it felt when we made the mistake the first time then we’d be much more likely to escape them in the future. We need to take advantage of our memories and learn from our mistakes by remembering them. As we remember past errors, we can have better results and outcomes in life.

#2

Our memory can help us remember the good times in the midst of bad times. If we embrace our memories, we can remember all that we’ve been blessed with even in the face of great challenges. This reservoir of memories can help us push through difficulties, make us better, and allow us to hope for better times. Remembering all that we’ve been given will help us to remain humble and grateful, allowing us to be better people and more fully reach our potential.

#3

Finally, our memory can help us remember those who have sacrificed so much in our behalf so that we could in turn enjoy success and happiness in life. Remembering parents, teachers, mentors, and others who have inspired and helped us along our way will provide us with a powerful desire to be better and to live up to their aspirations and expectations. This memory of sacrifice in our behalf can help serve us well when faced with difficult situations, tough decisions, or other challenges in life.

Our memory can be a powerful tool to help us reach our potential in life.  As we strive to remember our mistakes and learn from them, remember the good times despite current unfavorable conditions, and remember those who have helped us along our path, we will be motivated and much more likely to find success in life.