I Don’t Read My Books Backward

I don’t read my books backward. That might sound like an obvious statement, but it carries a lot more weight than you might think. For most people, the past is like a well-worn book that they can’t stop flipping through. They revisit old chapters, recount familiar tales, and sometimes, they even rewrite parts of their story, hoping to change what’s already been penned in ink. But here’s the thing — I’ve learned that looking back, trying to decipher the whys and the hows of my past, doesn’t change anything and it never will. The words on those pages are static, unyielding to the force of regret or the desire for a different outcome.

I used to be one of those people who dwelled on the past, who constantly flipped back to old chapters, trying to make sense of it all. I used to let my past dictate my present, coloring my future with the same shades of doubt and fear. It was a habit, almost like a compulsion, to revisit those old stories, to dissect them, to try and find meaning in the mess of it all. But then I realized something — no matter how many times I read those old chapters, the story remained the same, and the pain of regret remained the same. I couldn’t rewrite the past, no matter how much I wished I could. There was no way to fix it.

That’s when I decided to stop reading my books backward. I stopped letting my past influence my present and, more importantly, my future. I stopped flipping through those old pages, stopped trying to find answers in places where there were none. Instead, I started looking forward, started thinking about the chapters yet to be written, including the present. I started focusing on today, and the future, and on the endless possibilities that lay ahead, instead of the mistakes and missteps that lay behind.

It wasn’t easy at first. Transversing through the future isn’t about ignoring the past — it is about not letting it control me anymore. It is about not letting it influence my today anymore. It is about not letting it dictate my future anymore. It is more about acknowledging what has happened, learning from it, and then moving on. It’s about understanding that the past is just that — past. It’s done, over, and there’s nothing I can do to change it. It must be dusted off. But the future? The future is a blank page, waiting for me to write my story, from the scratch, and of course the way I want. And that’s where I want to focus my energy right now.

The past has its place, of course. It’s shaped who I am, taught me lessons, and given me experiences that have molded me into the person I am today. But I refuse to let it be the defining factor in my life. I refuse to let it hold me back, to let it keep me from moving forward. The future is where I want to be. It’s where I can grow, where I can change, where I can become the better version of myself.

So, I don’t read my books backward. I don’t let my past weigh me down or keep me from reaching for the stars. I don’t let it define who I am or what I can achieve. Instead, I focus on the future, on the endless possibilities that lie ahead. I look forward, not back. I move forward, not backward.

Every day is a new chapter, a new opportunity to write my story the way I want it to be written. And that’s what I choose to do. I choose to write my story, my future, with purpose and intention. I choose to focus on what lies ahead, not on what’s behind me. Because, the future is where I want to be, where I need to be, to get the best out of myself.

So here’s to not reading our books backward. Here’s to looking forward, to accept the future the way it is, to writing our stories from the beginning with courage and conviction. The past is done, and we must leave it where it truly belongs — in the past. The future is waiting, and it is beautiful. And I, for one, am ready to write the best chapters of my life.