Last year back in Sydney I took this photo outside the office I once worked.
It’s funny, in 20+ years I hadn’t gone back to this place I worked for years.
I hadn’t even thought much about it which is how my brain works.
Naturally my brain fixates on where I’m at and where I’m headed.
But I’m always reminded I love going back.
Love it
Walking through Sydney I was reminded what a magical place.
Downtown. Harbor. The skyline. Parks. Suburbs down and around the beach. A wonderful feeling in the air.
If you’ve been here you know and I was reminded walking and running the streets, even running into some people I used to work with was a reminder what it’s like living in Sydney.
I worked so much back then I never really ‘lived in’ Sydney the way you do when you don’t eat dinner in the office every night!
Still I loved this phase and was reminded why.
Best times
Those first years at Goldman were some of my best times.
Everything was new, I didn’t really know what I was doing, or where I was headed, nor did I care much about that, just almost entirely, like 100+ hours a week entirely focused on getting it done.
It was also a special group of people in the office back then and you know from early in your career the fun of growing into this new phase together.
Those years were intense and it wasn’t all fun, no, I didn’t experience much of Sydney, but it was an amazing phase of life.
And years that set up the rest of my life.
Looking back?
How much do you look back?
What sort of things do you look back on? Do you go back to places you’ve been?
This week a client told me at a dinner party they went around the table talking about who’s focused on the past or future?
She said some people spent a lot of time focused on past successes and failures and others were more focused on where they are headed.
Some were living in regret. Others in glory days. Some were trying to achieve more to feel they had made it. Others who’ve made it are stepping back chilling while others are driving further, faster.
So I asked her, “Who did you most enjoy being around?”
“Loving it”
“Those who are loving it!” was her most simple answer.
Because she went on to say some of those reminisced on the past with such wonderful joy and same with some focused on the future.
“It wasn’t where they focused in time but the perspective you bring to it,” she said. We all love being around people who feel good was her main point.
She said some of the downer people were stuck in old ways of thinking and this stopped them from looking back positively or most loving their life today or having an exciting vision for the future.
This way looking back can starve and also fuel you.
Fuel
Last year at home in a disabled children’s community playground my parents helped get built I bashed my head and narrowly escaped injury!!
Point being, you can take the boy out of Oz but coming home decades later I’m still that Aussie larrikin.
My brother has an incredible memory he can tell you statistics from decades ago he once read. He knows the exact number of days I’ve been in Australia since moving to America 25+ years ago and I’m about to set off on my longest trip.
To Sydney. Melbourne. Work. Play. Clients. Friends. Family. Come on!!
Bringing together my past and future, gonna be an amazing trip.
You?
What are you up to these holidays?
Are you traveling? Up to anything in particular? Using it for downtime? Adventure? Getting together with family?
I’m curious if you want to share, what are some things you most think about around this time of year? Are you more likely to think about your past or future?
It is also Mother’s birthday so this naturally gets you looking back over the years and forward to years ahead.
Because but many of us experience how quickly these years are flying by and you’ve gotta make the most of it, don’t you?
Going back looking forward
Going back to Australia you’re always Australian!
You feel it as soon as you land like the world slowed down. You hear some Aussie accents. Or you’re in the car smelling the sunshine.
Going back here I’m thinking about the times in Sydney and Melbourne and uni and growing up and it’s amazing fuel looking forward. You can see your past and future in lots of ways and bring them together in your best now.
Making the best of your past and future, how aren’t you loving now?
That’s the power of going back looking forward.