I loved watching the movie Ratatoulie. As cute as the movie is, I found it inspirational. Hence, it features in the quote of the day section. The inspiration in this quote is about constant improvement, moving ahead and not getting bogged down by failures. I’m sure we all hold an emotional baggage of failures and its fears. However, life doesn’t stop and neither should we.
In this article, we will talk about the meaning of this quote – if you focus on what you left behind, you’ll never be able to see what lies ahead. This quote reminds me of the powerful words from Lion King – The past hurts, but you can either run from it or learn from it.
If you focus on what you left behind, you will never be able to see what lies ahead – Meaning
The meaning of this quote can be summarised in 3 points below.
- The quote advises against dwelling on the past and encourages focusing on the present and future.
- It highlights that being stuck in the past can hinder personal growth and prevent seizing new opportunities.
- To embrace potential and possibilities, it is essential to let go of what has been left behind and look ahead with an open mind.
Most of our decisions ought to be objective and taken independently from our bias. Our past failures naturally create fear and bias that influences this decision-making.
But, we won’t get the best decision nor the outcomes if we fixate on the past. As the quote says – “If you focus on what you left behind, you will never be able to look ahead. It emphasizes the importance of letting go of the past and moving forward. It encourages living in the present and looking towards the future, rather than dwelling on regrets or clinging to past experiences. The quote also highlights that what has been left behind can hinder personal growth, prevent new opportunities. It can even obstruct the ability to embrace new possibilities . To truly progress and flourish, it is crucial to release the past and focus on the journey that lies ahead.
Overcoming obstacles
A general search of overcoming obstables in life yields 3 points:
- Embrace a positive mindset: Cultivate a positive outlook to face obstacles with resilience and optimism, turning challenges into opportunities.
- Develop problem-solving skills: Enhance problem-solving abilities to tackle obstacles systematically, breaking them down into manageable steps.
- Seek support and adaptability: Reach out for help when needed and be flexible in adapting to changing circumstances, fostering the strength to overcome life’s hurdles.
Although it sounds generic, a positive mindset starts from accepting our challenges. We ought to look within and understand what’s stopping us from the decisions that we need to. Our past is riddled with experiences, some that help our confidence and some that hurt. To be fair, both of these are reflections of our previous experiences. Neither of them guarantees any success.
You can already see that the process is biased and doesn’t give you the best chance of success. Your success or failure is based on your efforts and how well you adapt to feedback. A decision ultimately is based on what you’ll gain out of it -both tangible and intangible outcomes.
The fear of losing – if you focus on what you left behind
There is something interesting about this though. Each time we are set to take a decision, the latter seems to play a stronger role for the majority of us. The first thing that comes to mind is – what if I lose what I have right now?
“I had read somewhere that a bird in hand is better than two in the bush. But what if the bird in the bush is the one I really really want and I don’t really care about the one in hand? Does it make sense to tread carefully and take a cautious decision or should I go ahead and take and adventurous one? ” Isn’t this a question which bugs or has bugged most of us at a certain stage of our lives? I know I have and I kinda feel that I keep reaching it quite constantly.
It is hard to let go of something with a hope for the future. Although we are very optimistic and confident and no matter how much we tell ourselves that there is no fear, there certainly is a hitch which keeps us on check while taking a decision. That is actually quite a nice thing, it makes us question how badly we want something and how long we are willing to go to make that happen. It sure is a nice thing. But we need to keep asking that question to ourselves.
Stepping out of the comfort zone
Every decision finally boils down to the simple economics – the profit-loss equation. Sometimes profits become less quantifiable cos emotions are at play. Our suggestion, well chuck the economics, you got to heed your emotions sometimes, you got to step out of your comfort zone and embrace the world the way it is.
You got to push yourself to the limits to know that you can overcome them. You may not find the most economically sensible solution out of it, but what you gain for yourself is much more than the economics can evaluate. So, just get up, look around – there are a lot of things that can be done in the world and optimism is not just a word, it is a way of life.
If you focus on what you left behind, you will never be able to see what lies ahead. Now go up and look around
– Gusteau, Ratatouille
Vinay you are absolutely right, keeping the bird which does not matter for the birds for which you have always dream does not make sense. At first it would really painful for leaving the bird at hand, but as time passes and you are reaching near to your dream bird you will really forget the bird which was in your hand and will praise yourself for the decision…
Thanks for explaining it in so simple words….
Thank you Mayuresh. I am really happy to know that you enjoyed this post. He he, I guess I was just trying to convey the picture. People used to call me the drama queen with words :D .. Finally I am able to put it into good use I guess :D :)