Forward is the Only Direction

As a military soldier, you told me, you always imagine yourself as a watch, that doesn’t have any direction but forward. As a soldier, it would be life-threatening to go backward or just to stay. This applies to our lives, forward is always the only direction.

Then I started noticing that, your philosophy applies basically everything, and can serve as an explanation to any problem.

When people say they are sad or feeling down, if you asked them why, they would most likely tell you about their guilt or sorrow about what they have done in the past, or something happened from the past and they have no way to change it. Yes, if you have no way to change what’s already happened, they can bring you nothing but guilt and all different negative feelings, and these negative feelings would most likely bring you down to a bottom and wear you down. Forward is the only direction.

When I started noticing some of my wrinkles are appearing so rapidly, I then appreciate the flowing of time is so fast and I have no control over it. Aging is not scary, but getting old without you. Time could never stop at one moment and wait for you to respond to it. No matter what had happened is already happened, wrinkles will keep appearing and you will only get older, but your only option to deal with this, it is to accept the fact and move forward. Forward is always the only direction.

When I worked with people with PTSD, I started noticing people have mental health problems are most likely having problems dealing with traumas they had in the past. Once again, they cannot get over what had happened in the past, and those images keep showing up in their brain, and this leads them to a very serious disorder. This is a devastating but treatable disorder, but this again proves that you are right. Forward is the only direction in life.

When I was watching marathons, or the other running competitions, every racers and runners are only running toward the finish line. This is their faith, this is their destination, and this is the symbol of their glories and victories. They can look back to see where others are but looking forward to the finish line. Forward is the only direction for these people.

When I was painting on an empty canvas, the time I used my pen to paint my blank canvas, it is stained and dirty, and this is never reversible. The canvas can never be empty again, and the only way for me to do it is to keep painting and drawing, until I can draw something, whether it is good or bad. I found drawing is very healing and it is very good for mental health for the same reason. An empty canvas would never have anything unless you start painting it, and creating something horrible or beautiful, it is completely up to you. This is the same as to make a decision between good and evil, there is always an option when you are stuck in between, and you are always the only one who can determine your faith. Forward is the only direction.

When I was in an exam, I could never stop the clock from counting down my time but to put down whatever I had in my mind and did my best to remember what I had in my mind. No matter how hard it was, how nervous I am, how prepare I am and how reluctant I felt about the test, I had to keep writing and racing with time, and I don’t have another chance to repeat the same test at this moment at the exact time. Time will never go back and forward is always the only direction.

When I was little, I always think forward is the easiest way to move on, things can only go backward if you made it so. Like riding a bicycle, it usually will just go forward and you can never move it backward by pedalling. You had to step down and manually move the bike backward. This is the same as our lives, everything will never go backward unless you made it happened. Forward is always the only direction.

When I am eating something, the food is broken down into pieces, I can never make it to the same shape again. Once it is in my stomach, it will be broken down into particles and nutrients for me to digest, and they can never be like the original. It will just keep sliding down my body until my cells absorb all the nutrition it provides. Forward is always the only direction.

When I am learning, I can never forget what I have memorized, and the only way to use them to tackle more problems it is to develop on the basics knowledge that I had and to utilize them. I have no way to develop on advanced things before I know the basic, so if I want to go to the top of the mountain, I will have to start from the bottom and the only direction is moving forward, with my spirit and strong will, until I reach my aim and target. Forward is the only direction.

When I am writing, I can never stop when I had started a story. The plot is already there, and I feel very guilty if I just stopped there and not tell the whole story to my readers and audience. I feel pitiful if I couldn’t finish the story and tell people what I feel about what I am doing. I feel relieved after finishing writing a story because I had told what I was trying to say. Moving forward is always the only best solution to every problem.

When I am reading, I can never stop as well for the same reason. I cant just let go of what had started and I want to know what is going to happened next. I wouldn’t allow this story to have a beginning but not a good ending. That’s not a story but a cliché. Forward is the only direction.

Just imagine yourself as a watch, and keep moving forward. Cheers.