Amor fati – a love of your fate.
Friedrich Nietzsche coined the phrase and it’s one in periods of reflection that I’ve begun to believe in.
Instead of railing against the past, instead of letting events and emotions live rent free, instead of looking back with regrets and emotions, embrace the past. Not a coy acceptance but because if it happened, then it was meant to happen, and I am glad that it did when it did. I am going to make the best of it.
This requires massive mental gymnastics on your part and my part. I do have a habit of looking back – don’t we all? We should all look forward not backward, reconcile with the past and embrace amor fati.
To this end, I drew up a 70 point bucket list as if I was terminally ill, when I packed bags, went on a fugitive run from hotel to hotel, landing finally at “home” in Manchester.
Amor Fati prompted me to say: I will put my energies and emotions and exertions only where they will have real impact. This is that place. I told myself. This is what I’ve got to do or put up with? Well, I might as well be happy about it.
To this end, I’ve packed in a few years of experiences in a few months because I created a plan to revive myself.
Saturday saw me walking 12 miles on a circular route around Adlington, Chorley and Rivington Pike. Stunning scenery and company too with Rachel.
Sunday was a wonderful day with Fran who gave me guided tours of Liverpool, its Hope Street cathedrals, Albert Dock and Another Place on Crosby beach.
In life and business, we need to embrace our pasts, love our present and anticipate a bright future.
I’ll leave this rather philosophical newsletter with things I’ve learned across over 3 months now. Counselling has taught me to reconcile with the past and deliberately strategise a personal and professional future. I’ve begun to change myself.
I’ve not had a personality transplant in Manchester – essentially I’m the same me as I’ve always been but with new facets.
I see my own personal happiness as paramount. I am embracing the past for what it made me and looking forward to today and tomorrow.
Life is like a car journey – we have a vast open road in front of us. The windscreen is large and shows us ways forward. The rear view mirror is small and should only be looked at occasionally.
Look at the road ahead, turn that steering wheel in directions that you want to take and only look back with smiles at the roads you’ve left behind and the routes you’ve experienced in life.
