I Already Know Where I’m Going and Where I Shouldn’t Return

I Already Know Where I’m Going and Where I Shouldn’t Return
Valeria Sabater

Written and verified by the psychologist Valeria Sabater.

Last update: 15 November, 2021

All of us have a void in our hearts, an unexplored region where we withdraw in our minds but where we could never return in person. There are places, settings, people, and things that are anchored in our past and that build who we are. These are experiences, lost loves, frustrations, letdowns, and restrained happiness that we will never get back.

How many times have you felt lost? That disorientation is something we’ll experience many times, because nothing in this world is sure. But that feeling of inner loss also forces us to keep moving forward, to keep learning.

Life is used to putting obstacles in our path, but the true limits are imposed by ourselves. Do not make it more difficult for yourself. If something hurts you, wears you down, and destroys you inside, break down that wall and make it your goal not to ever go back to that.

What really matters is knowing where you should not return. Sometimes, distance is the only response to our unhappiness, and every step that we take in the opposite direction is a step towards our personal growth. However, to manage this goal, we need great courage…

I already know where I’m going

Woman at Crossroad

Knowing where we are going does not mean having a fixed destination. We are talking about goals, projects, and above all else, self-discovery. About knowing what it is that we deserve and what we are not willing to experience again, about knowing how to set limits for our personal growth.

Throughout our lives, there should always come a moment when we stop feeling the need to run across our “me” in order to create ourselves. Desire creates thought and thought is a powerful weapon that will continue guiding our true path.

If we really reflect on the question of whether or not we know where we are going, the answer is no. Who knows what awaits us tomorrow? We know what we have here and now, but tomorrow is nothing more than water that passes through our hands.

A person knows where they are going when they feel sure of themselves and experience has taught them the importance of being brave and patient. Good things come to those who wait.

A person knows where they are going when they trust, when they have an open mind, and when they know how to intuit reality. A person knows where they are going when they offer themselves what they deserve and allow themselves what they need.

A person knows know where they are going when they stop believing that life must be perfect to be great. A person knows where they are going when they discover what they are capable of.

These discoveries are not made over night. It is a process, a path to follow throughout that time period that we call life, where we must always go in one direction: forward, leaving behind those places, settings, and people that we should not return to.

Places with no return, hearts not to return to

Woman on Ladder

If you do not let go of the past, with what hand are you going to use to seize the future? It is sometimes necessary to turn our eyes to the past so we can put ample distance between ourselves and the person who hurt us, that experience that made us changed, or that places that takes us back to a past that we no longer identify with.

True bravery is not letting go of the people who hurt us; it is a matter of learning to let go of that piece of you that stayed with them.

However, it is not easy to take that step and tell ourselves that we are not going to go back. The action of leaving, of abandoning, of distancing yourself from someone or something means above all else breaking a bond, be it family, feelings, or friendship. Be that as it may, there is always some type of emotional pain.

Letting go of someone or something is distancing ourselves not only from that person, but also from that identity that we had formed by being with that person in particular. The act of leaving also implies coming into contact with ourselves again so that we may heal that wound, to reinvent ourselves while also moving forward. Growing.

Man Sitting on Moon

When a bond is broken and a wound heals, this not only implies learning, but also inner change. Leaving something is losing, but sometimes that loss can also be seen as gain, as personal growth.

While you are finding what you are looking for, be happy with what you have. Life is a thrilling pathway where we must sometimes leave behind places that it is best never to return to.

Image courtesy of Azisa Noor


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.