Pioneer Or Copycat?

Today in Utah it is Pioneer Day. It is a day that those who settled and improved the land are celebrated. Many places have similar celebrations of those who blazed new trails to create something better for themselves and their descendants.

I recognize that many ethnic groups bemoan these facts. I understand their feeling of loss. They often share grievances about treatment of their ancestors. Perhaps this is why I look to my past to understand where I have come from and what that means to me.

I am a descendant of Pocahontas. Her people suffered from the influx of the English into what became Virginia. Regardless, I am her descendant. If it were not for her marriage to John Rolfe, I would not be here. I think that many people can claim similar circumstances.

Why bring this up? What are you grateful for in life? Knowing where you have come from helps you to see more clearly when circumstances seem unfair.

Should I copy those who complain about injustices? I could. Not only do I descend from Pocahontas, I also descend from refugees from East Prussia. The lands of my grandparents do not belong to my family. The communist regimes of Russia and Poland appropriated them. Should I demand them back? What sense would it make to those living there today? Seventy years later, I have no connection to that land other than memories of my mother and some pictures.

Choose To Move Forward

There is a lot of hurt associated with loss of identity. I have dealt with a lot of that in my life. I suffered teasing. Stories abound of how my mother felt mistreated in America and Germany. I grew up with that, but it does not define me. When I look in the mirror, I choose to see a pioneer, or a victim. As I live each day, I speak as a free man or a slave of the past.

I acknowledge that people wrong others. Life if full of wrongs, but changing them is not an option. I’m sure that my Prussian ancestors appropriated lands from those they conquered. The Angles and Saxons drove out the Celts. The Romans recreated the political divisions of Europe. The Mongols decimated entire civilizations across Asia and Europe. How far back to we need to look for reparations? Bad blood lasts for millennia. Just look at the middle east for a great example of hatred carrying on suffering and displacement.

If you live in a family that complains about the wrongs done to them in the past, I invite you to choose a different pattern in your life. Find what you are grateful for in your life today. List those things out. If you can’t come up with a lot, ask your friends about what they see that is good in your life. It will help you to see life in a different way, even when you may not really wont to see it.

Finding Good Is Easy, When You Practice

I used to find the bad in every situation. I thought I knew it all. Seldom did I get it right. As I look back now, I am grateful that I can see how much hurt and pain I caused. I know better today how to treat people because I messed up in the past. I apologize if you are someone I hurt. My intent is to not do that again. Perspective helps me act better today because I made mistakes in the past. You can do the same, if you choose to do so.

No longer do I need to regret what I did because I have changed how I think and act. There is no reason that you cannot do the same. As you practice acting differently, you will find things that cause embarrassment. Let go of that feeling. It won’t serve you. Feel it and move on, or you will fall back into old patterns. When you make new mistakes, pull your chin up, forgive yourself, ask for forgiveness, and start over on the path you intend to take. You will see more joy in life and greater good in others.

My grandfather was a better man when he died than when he came to America. My wife is a better woman today than when I first met her, or when I married her. Gratefully, I am a better man now than I was before. Each day I get to choose who I will be today, and if I make a mistake, tomorrow has new opportunities. Never discount who you can become. You are not doomed to repeat your past, unless you choose to do so. Stop Leaving Leaves on the lawn of your life.

Make A Difference

You can make a difference in not only your life, but in the lives of the people you meet each day. Make the changes you want to see in yourself to be a pioneer. Don’t shy away because it seems difficult. That effort will teach you how to make the difference you want.