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MaxXCeption t1_j8f2wcg wrote

Great life advice, terrible writing advice

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periander t1_j8f8tzn wrote

... and then lion Jesus comes back from the dead and all the children get presents.

The End

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Full_moon_47 t1_j8hmxov wrote

He didn't even follow the advice himself. Motherfucker didn't write his own books in chronological order.

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1feralengineer t1_j8dfsat wrote

Not actually from Lewis

https://checkyourfact.com/2019/07/26/fact-check-cs-lewis-cant-go-back-change-beginning-start-ending/

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olafminesaw t1_j8e7jff wrote

But the real C.S. lewis quote, is just as good!: “If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.”

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amin9129 OP t1_j8di83l wrote

Apologies for the incorrect quoting.

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raouldukesaccomplice t1_j8f66xm wrote

I've been litigating and relitigating my past and marinating in regret this past week about everything - the past few years, college, high school, childhood, the whole thing. I'm currently trying to do things I really should have done like a decade ago or more.

This gives me hope.

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Thank-you1234 t1_j8hn448 wrote

As someone who did everything they “should’ve done” and still winding up on the shit end of a stick, cherish that hope and use it as motivation.

Instead of even starting to rebuild my entire life, I’m stuck trying to decide why. And I’de damn near kill just to get that hope/drive back.

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unclemik9 t1_j8iidvo wrote

It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life. if you keep trying, long term it gets better. 30 yr old me never saw where 53 yr old me wound up. Hang in there.

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Thank-you1234 t1_j8ku0p7 wrote

I appreciate that advice and love that quote. But particularly because this is r/getmotivated, I feel like I should clarify. My life is very successful on a surface level (while the quote you gave is 100% true I do not want to lead anyone to think they shouldn’t try).

But I’ve always cared far more about the people in my life than economic success, career achievement. I always viewed those as a means to get to spend time with the people I love doing fun shit, investing my time and energy into them etc. And the shit “end of the stick” is the one time I asked some of them for some emotional support it turned into an argument instead of them really offering anything. Then after said argument my GF (now ex), my best friend and her boyfriend decided to hack some of my accounts and threaten me with pictures of me. Then instead of apologizing they said we can never talk about it again, but we’re not apologizing. So I walked away and they immediately started denying anything & everything to all my social circle who literally believed my ex best friend (and she’s known as loose with the truth). So I feel like I did right by everyone, and then got immediately outcast over the people that I literally just asked for the only apology I think I ever asked them for.

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unclemik9 t1_j8l0xth wrote

That quote packs so much wisdom into so few words it is quite amazing and long-term ,yeah cut the toxic people out of your life and don't look back. it will get better without them.

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thaddeus423 t1_j8filyc wrote

I hope so. I’ve been saying this for years.

At any time you are allowed to say,

“No. This isn’t how my story unfolds.”

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nepalirex t1_j8dzb87 wrote

Want to paste this in my room

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Throwaway_97534 t1_j8esgfr wrote

Totally untrue, all modern word processors can edit any part of the text.

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PandaGoggles t1_j8e78ag wrote

Still feels to be too late though.

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catfink1664 t1_j8ef79l wrote

There was a woman that climbed a mountain at 90 something. I think she didn’t even start mountain climbing til her 60s. I don’t know what your goal is, but its maybe worth a shot?

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thaddeus423 t1_j8fisbn wrote

This is such a beautiful fucking perspective.

Our lives really are just beginning at 30, aren’t they?

Let’s stick around and find out what’s in store for us.

I have hope.

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Bullnettles t1_j8f4bgq wrote

Those feelings are something your mind has manifested. What physical barriers are in your way?

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genuinely_insincere t1_j8n590f wrote

Sometimes you just have to let things go. That's okay too if that's what you need to do.

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decrementsf t1_j8enxf7 wrote

Characters written into CS Lewis books depict this. Surprised on revisiting Chronicles of Narnia the characters are flawed and through some failure have a redemption arc. Think Edmund in the first. Eustace in Dawn Treader beats you over the head with the theme. The mouse Reepicheep beats you over the head with contrasting the idea of cowardace by contrasting characters against his embodiment of courage.

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caustic4 t1_j8gw7fr wrote

Isn't The Horse and His Boy exactly that?

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mustbemagical t1_j8grn5n wrote

I think the decisions we make are easy to see if they were positive or negative for us in retrospect. I also think, while we don’t know how life unfolds, we can trust our gut and know that the direction we’re choosing is the right one. I’ve been having to learn to trust my gut more these days. In the past I never did, I only chased what I thought I wanted.

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Kotopause t1_j8ewbb8 wrote

No I can’t. Because my past didn’t allow me to develop the means to start a new beginning.

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clondike7 t1_j8fikwm wrote

Because you weren’t allowed back then doesn’t mean you’re not allowed now.

Everyone’s situation is different, and you might have plenty of obstacles; don’t let your own cynicism be another obstacle against yourself.

It’s not about having an easy answer that will fix all your problems. It’s about having a goal to work towards.

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ONESNZER0S t1_j8fdt3u wrote

Exactly. I hate these bullshit motivational things that try to make it sound so easy to just make positive changes in your life. I dropped out of college because i couldn't afford it and didn't have time to work full time and pay all my bills AND spend the time on classes. Now, I feel like i have less time and energy to devote to classes, and don't have much more money either.

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MonkeyBred t1_j8flucl wrote

Why do people believe that if time travel were a reality, then going back in time could drastically alter the present? However, they believe that their actions today will have little impact on the future.

I see this as a slightly better illustration of the same point as the post's quote.

While I don't think of the quote as being "bullshit," I also don't question my past decisions. I feel like every bad decision I ever made was due to lack of foresight and perfect information, and consequently, I will perpetually make poor choices.

I find that true control is not worrying about the ending or the beginning... while also ignoring that shitty adage, "live every day like it's your last."

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arox1 t1_j8hd41e wrote

At some point you dont have a future anymore

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[deleted] t1_j8hibdh wrote

[deleted]

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arox1 t1_j8hiruq wrote

Depends on what you want. After 45 its mostly pointless

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Kotopause t1_j8h5i4s wrote

Because knowing consequences of the actions that seemed like a good idea in the past would allow you to avoid doing the mistakes that led you to the life you have now.

You not questioning your past decisions just shows that you were lucky and you have no major problems in life.

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genuinely_insincere t1_j8n5fpm wrote

That also doesn't really have anything to do with the quote. Your problem has nothing to do with wanting to change the past.

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AltoGobo t1_j8fj1mc wrote

Stupid as it is, I think of this whenever fans online throw a shitfit about a reboot or an adaptation they don’t like.

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Svalor007 t1_j8fr2ch wrote

I don't like how this makes me feel.

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J--EAZY t1_j8frzvs wrote

Yea its called restart in turn start all over once your out of lives the game is over.

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[deleted] t1_j8g2ep5 wrote

im really fucking miserable and want 5 years back.

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genuinely_insincere t1_j8n5ilj wrote

You never lost five years

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[deleted] t1_j8nqowy wrote

i dont care how you see it, i want it back

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genuinely_insincere t1_j8vbujd wrote

Well I'm not sure how you're going to get it back

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[deleted] t1_j98x2ug wrote

im not sure either. 23 going on 24 living at home no degree least attractive i’ve ever felt physically emotionally and mentally. id give an arm to be 18 and heading off to college again

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Kaneshadow t1_j8g5vb3 wrote

Unless the ending already happened. In which case it's time to start thinking of a new story

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MyBeardTalks t1_j8gcmzn wrote

This is just an Eagles fan misquoting CS Lewis.

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postfuture t1_j8hlf79 wrote

You can't change the facts in the past but you can change what it means to you.

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genuinely_insincere t1_j8n4j6v wrote

Yes. The past is the past. It's better to leave things in the past rather than let them continue to live in the present in your reality. Because what you're thinking about is what you are experiencing. So if you leave something in the past, that's where it will stay. You can't erase it from the past, but you can leave it there. And you can forget about things.

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LTinS t1_j8gehbu wrote

You can't change the end if the end hasn't happened yet.

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FuckTrumpBanTheHateR t1_j8h5rkt wrote

And this is why the Narnia series keeps getting worse each book.

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AshamedOstrich t1_j8kn1pd wrote

Looking at you cancel culture!

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genuinely_insincere t1_j8n5nv4 wrote

How does cancel culture try to change the past? So are you trying to "cancel" cancel culture?

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ducknips t1_j8gkf9c wrote

.....but the end is literally always the same, regardless of the story and its many potential variations.

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Angelo_Aman t1_j8fg21c wrote

Only the guy who wrote Narnia could believe this applies.

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