Recently, I had the chance to reconnect with an old colleague. You know, the kind of person who you shared with challenging times when you felt stuck in a bad job. We hadn’t caught up in a while, so naturally, our conversation drifted back to the struggles and reasons we eventually decided to leave. For a moment, it felt like we were reliving those tough days, recounting our pain and challenges.
Then, suddenly, a colleague from my new department joined us, bringing an unexpected dose of energy and joy. She was excited as she shared stories from her recent travels to London and Paris. Her cheerful energy interrupted our reflection on past struggles, snapping us out of a heavy moment and grounding us back in the present. In that moment, I realized how easy it is to get lost in past sorrows, missing out on the beauty of now.
Yes, we had endured a toxic environment and left behind what we’d worked so hard to build. But, as I reflected, I saw that the foundation we’d built on was unstable—destined to fall eventually. The cheerful interruption reminded me that life is happening here and now. The past is over, and focusing on it only holds us back from fully experiencing the present. It was a valuable lesson, and it came in the most unexpected way.
Sometimes those unplanned encounters can offer the most unexpected life lessons. It’s amazing how a single positive perspective can remind us to let go of past struggles and truly embrace the present. That cheerful colleague seems to have given me just the nudge I needed to shift focus. How beautiful that a simple story of travel could serve as such a powerful reminder!
Lesson to be learned: Don’t let a beautiful moment be overshadowed by an old, bitter memory. And don’t disregard all the joy and meaning from past experiences just because they ended badly. Between every beginning and ending, there are countless beautiful moments worth cherishing.