Leaving the Past Behind      

   Boy, do we regret things we did - or didn't do - when we were young. Sound familiar?

   Dr. Monroe Hamm, a PH.D, attorney, Iraq veteran, writes that we often get depressed, comparing our life to how we think it should have been. But "it" doesn't exist except in our mind.  

   "It's a script that was never produced, but it should have been, but why should it have been? It doesn't matter," he says. "It's reality." 

   "Also, we need to stop comparing ourselves to others," Dr. Mann adds. "What if our (actual) life was meant to be? The only problem is how we interpret everything, and the longer we deny reality, the longer we feel sad." 

   He quotes Stephen Covey, in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, who "separate our circle of influence from our circle of concern. We have no control over our concerns, including our past." 

   "We do have control over our circle of influence. It is our present, and how we approach the future," he says.

   Dr. Mann thinks of "two situations that destroyed me for many years." He overcame those "failures" by acknowledging them, "while looking for the 5 percent improvement in my life now. It's incredible the effect an imperfect solution can have."

   He lives by "small but significant improvements ... the key to a happier life."

   Dr. Mann concludes: "As the saying goes, 'We make plans, and God laughs.' God is laughing because we are not as clear about our 'dreams' as we think we are. We are meant for so much more. So, stop moping and start micro-improving." 

       Jimmy