Looking Back Only Slows You Down

Valuable Life Lessons from Start-Up

Sail Off Without a Map

And this is now the third part of the Valuable Life Lessons from the Korean drama series "Start-Up".

"Looking back only slows you down."

Perhaps, most of us have been looking back and keep revisiting our past and the decisions we made that we somehow regret because it made our life miserable. We would even wish that we could turn back time so that we can correct all of our mistakes and not do them again. And sometimes, being imprisoned by our past, we tend to disregard the present time that will surely affect our future.

I think there's nothing wrong with looking back and thinking about our mistakes because they also taught us valuable lessons and our past is a part of our lives. They have a huge contribution to who we are today. However, if we keep living in the past and do not move on from our mistakes and the wrong decisions that we made, it will only hinder us from moving forward in life.

Regrets always come too late but past is past so learn to live in the present. We can't turn back time to change the past so all we can do now is to fix our eyes forward, accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be.

"If you cut ties with everyone for all sorts of reasons, you'll be left all alone in the end."

This was one of my favorite lines in the drama because it hits through my core.

I think one of the reasons why I have only a few good friends now is because I don't hesitate to cut out people when they don't have any good contribution to my life and they just bring me stress and make fun of my insecurities. I don't mind cutting people off if they're toxic to me (not that I'm not toxic) and when I feel that they're only taking advantage of me. Sometimes, I regret cutting them off, especially when I feel so alone in this world, but whenever I remember how they disrespected me, I'm all good with my decision of cutting ties with them.

However, nobody is perfect and everyone will always get to disappoint and hurt you in one way or another. So before cutting them off, always put in mind that you may have also been toxic to them or you have hurt them unnoticeably, but they chose to keep in touch with you, treasure them. This was something that I didn't realize before it was too late.

"Words don't have power."

This is something I don't agree with because I believe that words are powerful and words can either make or break a person. Proverbs 15:4 says, "The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit."

Isn't it ironic how our tongue doesn't even have a bone but it is the strongest muscle in our body? Just like wasted time, the words spoken can never be taken back. So before opening your mouth, make sure that your tongue is connected with your brain and heart so that you won't be able to say such things that will hurt a person. Just like what others say, if you have nothing good to tell, just shut your mouth up. However, it's also nice to open up your mouth and speak something that will make a person feel good and motivated, especially if he is feeling down and depressed.

"Working hard isn't enough. You have to do a good job."

This is just so true and I couldn't agree more. Sometimes, working hard is really just not enough, especially for those people who have such high expectations of you. These people will never appreciate all of your efforts and sacrifices, and they will never applaud how you were able to overcome the trials and challenges that came your way if they don't see a good outcome from it. Unless they see that you are already successful in life, the amount of hard work and dedication you put out will still be invalidated.

However, that is only the case if you are living your life for them and not for yourself. So always remember that working hard is already enough as long as you are doing everything you can. You don't have to beat yourself up for not reaching other people's expectations of you, so just live your life.

I think this is now the last article for the Start-Up series. The drama is just filled with valuable life lessons and it's a good reminder for all of us who have great dreams and big goals. So if you haven't watched the drama yet, make sure to watch it soon. It's worth it!