In the book Winnie-the-Pooh, Pooh says, “I get to where I’m going by walking away from where I’ve been.”
Paul said something quite similar.
Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal… (Philippians 3:13–14)
There’s no other method for moving ahead than moving away from where you were. I don’t think Paul was denying his past or trying to pretend it didn’t exist. He just refused to live his life facing the wrong direction.
He understood something essential: you cannot press forward while hanging on to yesterday.
Or, to use a baseball metaphor (from Frederick B. Wicox): You can’t steal second base with your foot on first.
“Forgetting” in Paul’s sense is refusing to let the past determine the direction today will take. Or tomorrow, or the next day. Regret cannot fuel the journey. Neither can past success. Both can become weights that hold you back.
So, it’s like Paul and Winnie the Pooh are saying much the same thing. Progress is directional. You get to where you’re going by walking away from where you’ve been.
The question isn’t whether you have a past. We all do. The question is: Are you ready to leave it behind?
© 2026 Steve May. All Rights Reserved. This memo first appeared at Preaching Library.
