Glory Days: Stagnation at Its Best

The Archangels Talk About Evolution and Growth

I know a lady who’s in her fifties, I guess, and she posts pictures of herself on social media all the time from the distant past.  If they’re current pics, which is unusual, she airbrushes and filters out wrinkles, blemishes, and grey hair, but mostly they’re decades old pictures of her in her youth, winning beauty pageants and looking young and beautiful.  I feel kind of sorry for her, because to her, those were the best days of her life, and she seems to think that being pretty was her greatest accomplishment.  No wonder she’s so unhappy and misguided now that she’s older and past that.

I was young and beautiful once.  I played the pageants and modeled, and I’m vain enough to color my hair and buy various beauty aids and makeup.  I don’t feel badly about that, and although I can clearly see an older woman in the mirror, I still feel pretty, and I’m fine with getting older.  It’s kind of a trade-off in my mind, replacing youth and beauty for wisdom and more kindness, a desire to make a difference for others beyond myself.  I wouldn’t go back in time and do it all again, even for that long ago girlish figure!

My glory days had to do with gifts that I had nothing to do with in terms of accomplishment.  I was born pretty, big deal.  It was fun while it lasted, but that’s about the most I can say for it.  I’m much prouder of my service as a teacher and now as a channel for the Archangels and other high Guides.  I’m prouder of raising my kids and taking care of people I loved when they needed me a lot more than I ever was walking the catwalk, making commercials, or being announced as a finalist in some beauty contest.  There are people in my family that still refer to me as the pretty one, and when we occasionally get together, they talk about those times, and frankly, it’s a little embarrassing.

I think of the song, Glory Days, by Bruce Springstein, and how he sings about former star baseball players and girls who could turn heads.  Great song, but underneath it all, I feel sorry for people who are still talking about one period in their life decades later that makes them smile more than anything that’s happened since.  It’s sad to me to think of people who are defined by one period of time or a single event, good or bad, that won’t release them to continue to grow and evolve.  It’s not good to be defined by one thing, no matter how important or impactful it was.  We’re all shaped by the past to some extent, but we shouldn’t continue to live there.  I asked the Archangels to expand on this idea of allowing one thing to define us, and their response follows.

Question:  I know the past helps shape us into the people we are in the present, but how do we balance important things from the past with the present and the future, whether it’s good or bad memories?

Answer:

Absolutely, the past helps to shape you into who you are now and will continue to shape you in various ways, and that is mostly a good thing.  The past, both good and bad experiences, teaches a person.  Hopefully, they learn from it and become wiser as life goes on, whether the lessons learned were pleasant or unpleasant.  We often have said that you do not forget the past, and there are often things that trigger memories, both good and bad, that come in the present and will come in the future, which is why, if the memories are attached to past trauma, it is so important to heal from them.

You speak of glory days.  These are good memories that can be fun to revisit, but if you do not move beyond them, they can be as detrimental as memories that are connected to trauma.  Just as it is essential to heal from traumatic times and experiences, it is also important to grow beyond good memories of times when your life was going exceptionally well.  You can learn and grow from both, but if you cannot move past good and/or bad times, it is possible that you will stagnate and miss out on creating new things and growing and evolving into a better, more impactful, more well-rounded person who participates fully in the present and plans for a brighter future.  You must always strive to leave the past in the past where it belongs and build in the present, as well as grow further in the future.

Whether you are holding onto good or bad times too tightly, if you trap yourself in the past, you do not evolve and grow.  You cannot build and maintain joy, hope, love, and peace in the present and future, if you are constantly revisiting the past in your mind.  There are those who have survived terrible trauma, who have been unable to heal from it, who continue to suffer terribly, because they cannot find the way, strength or purpose to heal.  Likewise, there are those who continue to be so enthralled with past accomplishments and accolades, they cannot move forward and accomplish new goals and dreams, which again, forfeits joy, hope, love, and peace in the present and future, just as those who were traumatized.

No one era or body of accomplishment should define a person exclusively.  There are those who see you through a particular lens and cannot see beyond it, but what is important is that you can see beyond it.  Whether people identify you as being one thing, such as pretty, famous, athletic, smart, an author, a teacher, a singer, a loser, a liar, a victim, religious, sensitive, or whatever other labels they come up with does not matter as much as how you see yourself.  You are not and should not be one thing or tied to one thing.  You are many things and play many roles during your life.  Do not be afraid to be more than what you are reputed to be, for there is always more to you than others, even you, know.

Beware of becoming too comfortable in your life.  Yes, comfort is a good thing, but as is true of most good things, too much of it can hinder you.  Too much comfort can lead to stagnation, lack of growth, and boredom.  Relax often, by all means, but when you begin to feel restless, it is time to seek a new avenue to explore, whether short or long term in nature.  When something is comfortable but not fulfilling or rewarding anymore, it is time to evolve more.  This is a perfect time for you to try something new that interests you.  You may feel nervous or unsure, but that is an indication that a new challenge is needed.  A certain amount of fear may be there, but fear is often excitement in disguise.  Feeling challenged is healthy and leads to growth.  If it instead leads to discontentment without a desire to continue, you can always try something else, but do not deny yourself a challenge from time to time.  It keeps you sharp and interested in life.

No one is only one thing or should be defined by only one thing.  Again, it is common for others to associate you with only one thing, but what is important is that you know you are many things.  You are more than a role you play, such as being a mother, a father, a sibling, a caregiver, an athlete, a singer, a leader.  You are more than what you do, such as a teacher, a lawyer, a politician, a firefighter, a protector, a doctor, a son or daughter, a manager of others.  You are more than how others perceive you, such as kind, loving, sad, angry, fearful, comforting, sympathetic, bigoted, successful, attractive, or smart.  You are more than who you have been in the past, whether it is a victim, a “loser,” a “winner,” a religious person, an atheist, someone at the top or bottom of success, rich, poor, sick, strong, married, widowed, happy, sad.  For everything you know and recognize about yourself, there are many, many more layers of depth and untapped gifts and talents and strengths that you have yet to use and discover.  There is no better time to find them than the present.

Final Thoughts

As people age, they often wonder why they’re still around.  I often hear this from my ninety-seven-year-old mother-in-law, who has been living with stage four cancer for years.  My answer is always the same.  As long as we’re here, we either still have something to learn or to help teach.  Lord knows, I continue to learn from her.  As difficult as the present can be at times, it’s still rich with knowledge and experience to be gained if we choose to engage with it.  There’s nothing wrong with a stroll down memory lane and reliving good times, as long as we don’t get stuck there and neglect or avoid further evolution.  Purpose and growth are essential to joy and peace.

Friday Night Meditation with the Archangels for the month September revolves around Transformation.  You cannot transform when you’re focused on the past, whether it was good or bad for you.  The Angels say we are beginning to step into our power, and they want us to embrace it.  Think about what you want from life and who you want to be.  Think about the changes you hope to see in the world.  Then, reach out to the Archangels and offer loving energy to whoever needs it, including yourself, with regard to Transformation.  Embrace change and the courage to evolve into someone new.  Someone better.  Transform.

I hope your weekend is full of joy, hope, love, and peace.

Blessings, all.