Why Retrace? When you look at where you have been, it will help you get where you’re going.
If you are ever feeling lost or unsure of what to do, you can simply retrace the path that brought you to that particular place to begin with. Retracing will enlighten or remind you of what to do or what not to do. Have you ever misplaced something only to find it in short order when you “retraced your steps?” This same tool can be applied to your life experience.
Retracing Relationships
Have you ever reached a bad place in a previously healthy relationship and wondered how it had deteriorated to that point? Think about retracing your history with that person—back to a time when it was good, solid, and healthy—a time when you were happy and loved spending time together. Retracing may reveal clues from the past which are exactly what you need to help heal the hurt, forgive the past, and begin again.
On a humorous note, have you ever been so engaged in a conversation that you “run down rabbit holes,” in diverse tangents? One of my friends calls it “tangisizing.” My brother-in-law, Peter, from England, describes it as someone having “lost the plot.” When this happens, retrace your conversation back to your original idea to help you get back to your intended point. It really helps!
As You Retrace, Truth is Evident
“I claim to be a simple individual liable to err like any other fellow mortal. I own, however, that I have humility enough to confess my errors and to retrace my steps.”
—Mahatma Gandhi
- Going back to the basics will remind you of what made you successful in the first place.
- History does repeat itself, and will often provide clues or predictions about your future.
- Your past benchmarks can help you decide which direction to take next.
- When an important conversation takes the participants in different directions, you can retrace the points of discussion to return to the original intention.
- When you retrace your steps, you can figure out what you did well and how you can do it even better. The same is true for things not done well. Either way, patterns emerge, helping you to continue the same or to make necessary adjustments and changes.
This blog is an excerpt from her new book, Release the Power of Re3 . . . Review, Redo & Renew for Positive Change & Transformation. To learn more, please visit www.SusanCYoung.com or www.amazon.com/author/susancyoung.
