Dear Customers and Friends,
When Frank Sinatra crooned about regrets in his popular song, “My Way,” he was not one to dwell on mistakes: “Regrets, I’ve had a few. But then again, too few to mention.”
Ol’ Blue Eyes had the right idea. It’s not healthy to focus on the past, especially when it gets in the way of enjoying the present or looking optimistically at the future.
Years ago, as I was starting my career in logistics, I made a decision to fire a dispatcher that I later regretted – or at least the way I handled it. It’s never easy to let someone go, but this employee made it more difficult when he pointed his finger back at me.
“You never gave me any goals or feedback on my job performance,” he said. “How was I to know what you wanted from me?”
His comments bothered me. Deep down, I doubted the young man would ever measure up, but maybe I hadn’t given him a fair shake. Though I couldn’t know at the time, my regret over the incident led to the early development of an employee training program that would grow to become a hallmark in our industry.
I learned a big lesson from that experience. Rather than looking back and worrying about a bad decision or action, I would begin to focus instead on what it could teach me. Changing the past is impossible, but the future is always wide open.
God offers the same redemption in our lives. In the third chapter of Philippians, Paul admits his imperfections and mistakes.
“BUT ONE THING I DO: FORGETTING WHAT LIES BEHIND AND STRAINING FORWARD TO WHAT LIES AHEAD, I PRESS ON TOWARD THE GOAL FOR THE PRIZE INSTEAD OF THE UPWARD CALL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS.”
Dwelling on the past is a heavy weight that will only drag us down if we let it. By letting go of the past, we are accepting God’s grace and forgiveness. May we live our lives by looking to Jesus and moving forward, always striving to do better.
Blessed to be a Blessing,
Syfan Logistics
Greg Syfan’s Story, Written by John Vardeman
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
Isaiah 43:18-19