Moving Forward
- Jimmecha Carr
- Jun 14
- 2 min read
I love the sight of mountains. A few years ago, I traveled to Alabama to see my friend graduate from her master’s program. Upon my arrival to Huntsville, Alabama. I was unaware that the city was surrounded by breathtaking mountains. This was my first time driving to Huntsville Alabama; it was late and dark. I was nervous because I never drove up a mountain. The speed limit was 50 MPH, and I was going 40 MPH. I knew I had to drive slowly because I was nervous and wanted to drive extra carefully although I was starting to frustrate the drivers behind me.
It was only one lane on the way to the interstate and the one lane lasted for 10 miles. As time grew, more cars were added to the line. Already feeling nervous with my palms sweating, I looked in my rear-view mirror and I noticed that there was a long line of cars behind me. I did not want to speed up because it was dark and I was driving in an area where there were deer and a lot of curves.
While I was driving, an angel must have spoken to me. I thought of an inspirational message that I never forgot. While I was driving up the mountain, I gained nervousness because I was worried that others behind me would criticize me for driving slowly. The drivers could have been familiar with the area, but I wasn’t, and I wanted to make sure I could enjoy my weekend by preventing an accident.
I told myself to stop looking in the rear-view mirror and to stay focused on what’s ahead. Eventually, I stopped caring about what others were thinking and focused on driving safely and getting to the interstate. That experience led me to this message: Keep moving forward. When trying to achieve any goal, doing something new, or simply exercising discipline, it is vital to keep moving forward. There will be times when it seems easier to give up and cultivate your experience for other’s approval, but the key is to remain focused on the benefits of the outcome. When trying to move forward, there will be times when you want to look back but looking back can be a distraction to your goal and future.
Looking backward can often be a manipulative tactic, a distraction that keeps us tethered to our past. While reflection is important, dwelling on what has already happened can cloud our vision and hinder our progress. Every moment spent fixating on past failures or missed opportunities is a moment taken away from envisioning and pursuing our future. Success lies in our ability to learn and move forward, to focus on the goals that inspire us and the paths that lead us there. Remember, the rearview mirror is smaller than the windshield for a reason.
Keep your gaze forward, embrace the lessons of the past, but don’t let them define your journey. After we reached the interstate, every car sped past me. I knew this would happen, but I did not care. I was thankful that I made it through the mountains, and I was proud of myself for successfully achieving something new.
