National Toss Away the “Could Have’s” and “Should Have’s” Day
By: Caroline Craft
Before you read this, vow to yourself:
“From this day forward, I choose not to live in the past. The past is history that I cannot change. I can do something about the present; I choose to live in the present.”
-Lucy Moore of Female First
National Toss Away the “Could Have’s” and “Should Have’s” Day is celebrated every third Saturday of July as a time to focus on leaving your past behind and focusing on the present and future.
“Could Have’s” and “Should Have’s” take many different forms and hinder us from living our best lives, which is something we can all relate to. Letting regrets and mistakes define you can be a damaging roadblock.
Here’s a few tips to help declutter the negative “what if” thoughts and focus on creating positive change:
- Create a vision board.
Whether they take the form of a collage inspirational photos cut from magazines or something you create in a digital software, vision boards allow you to focus on your goals moving forward. The challenge is to honestly evaluate what you want for yourself. Be sure to display it where you will see it constantly like above your bed, make-shift-home-office or as a screensaver.
2. Throw out the negatives and add in the positives.
Oftentimes, it can be cathartic to throw out the negative thoughts with a physical exercise. One example is to write out some of the negative thoughts and failures you’ve faced. Really read, acknowledge them, and then burn it, throw it away or rip it up. Be as melodramatic as you want!
3. Learn from past experiences and take away the ones that made you happy.
Be sure to also take time to reflect on positive choices and even positive outcomes from negative situations. Relish these moments and think about what elements from these experiences made them so positive.
Join the journey on social media use the hashtag #TossAwayTheCouldHavesAndShouldHavesDay and be inspired by others who have made positive change! This important day doesn’t stop after July 18th. You can continue to live in the present and motivate yourself to live a better and brighter everyday.
