Are You Riding Backwards?
- suneel172
- Aug 31
- 3 min read
One day, people saw Mulla Nasruddin riding his donkey in a strange way.
He was sitting facing backwards.
Curious onlookers asked, “Why are you riding like this?”
Nasruddin replied with a grin:
“I don’t know where I am going, at least I know where I am coming from.”
Everyone laughed.
But hidden in his words lies a truth about how many of us live our lives.
When the Past Holds the Reins
Think about it.
How often do people walk through life mechanically—without a clear direction, without goals?
Without a vision of the future?
Instead, they keep looking back.
Some look back fondly at past achievements:
The manager who still talks about a promotion from ten years ago.
The student who once topped the class, but hasn’t grown since.
Others keep looking back at failures:
The entrepreneur who quit after one business collapsed.
The professional who never tries again after being rejected once.
“The past is a place to learn from, not to live in.”
By staring backward, they carry unnecessary baggage.
And like Nasruddin, they end up knowing only where they’ve been.
Not where they are going.
The Forward-Facing Few
Now contrast this with those who succeed.
They may glance at the past, but their focus is on the road ahead.
Sachin Tendulkar didn’t stop after his first century—he aimed for greatness until he scored 100 of them.
Edison wasn’t defined by 1,000 failed experiments—he was defined by the one success that lit the world.
Elon Musk didn’t let failures at Zip2 or X.com chain him down—he kept creating, moving from rockets to cars to solar energy.
“The successful don’t ride backward—they ride toward a destination.”
Why the Direction Matters
Imagine driving your car with your eyes glued to the rear-view mirror.
That’s exactly what living in the past feels like.
You won’t see the turns, the roadblocks, or the opportunities ahead.
To move forward, you need three things:
Clarity – Know what you want and why it matters.
Vision – See the bigger picture beyond daily struggles.
Determination – Keep moving even when the path gets rough.
The Choice Is Yours
Every day you have two options:
Keep riding backward, defined by memories, regrets, and old glories.
Or turn around, face forward, and choose to shape your future with purpose.
“Don’t let yesterday steal tomorrow.”
Final Word
Mulla Nasruddin may have been joking, but life isn’t a joke.
The donkey keeps moving.
The only question is: Will you face the right way?
Call to Action
Stop riding backward.
Write down where you want to go, what you want to achieve, and take one small step today toward that destination.
The journey begins when you turn around.
If you feel you’ve been riding through life backward—stuck in past glories, regrets, or missed chances—it’s time to turn around. Through Personal Coaching, I help professionals gain clarity, build resilience, and chart a meaningful path forward. Don’t let yesterday define your tomorrow—let’s design the future you want. Message me to explore one-on-one coaching that helps you face forward with purpose.
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