Forget Auld Lang Syne

Each New Years Eve we sing that same song about old acquaintances.  “Auld Lang Syne” is a very old Scottish song written down by Robert Burns in the 1700’s. Guy Lombardo, who first sang it at midnight on January 1, 1929 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, made it a popular New Years song. It was played by him, on a live broadcast, until 1976.

But what actually does that phrase in the chorus mean?  The words ‘Auld Lang Syne’ literally translates from old Scottish dialect meaning ‘Old Long Ago’, but one of the best translations of “auld lang syne” is “times gone by”.  What good times have gone by for you?  Perhaps a blind date, you didn’t want to go on, that turned out to be the night you fell in love . . .  Maybe you were the star player, or even Captain of the football team.  You threw the winning touchdown pass in the State Championship and were the hero of the school for the rest of your senior year . . . How about the first time you believed in miracles when you saw your baby being born.  How did that joyous moment change after being sleep deprived when that little one had colic for weeks on end?  Yet, when she graduated from college, with high honors, that miracle was relived . . . How awesome it was as a young child to know and believe Santa Claus would visit everyone’s house on Christmas Eve. Santa, without fail, would transform the world at least for one day.

What are the difficult “times gone by”?  It may have hurt to watch a friend or family member struggle with an addiction to drugs or alcohol . . . Perhaps the pain and helplessness of seeing a parent struggle with Alzheimer’s . . .  Or a dear friend calls you for help when her husband dies suddenly and you don’t know what to say or do.  You then realized that just being there with a hug for her, in silence, said it all.

How much do you focus on “times gone by”?  We hold onto baby teeth, stuffed animals, pictures of us with hair, obituaries from the newspaper, our wedding invitations (even when divorced!), baby announcements and dusty trophies.  We talk about the things that happened to ourselves and other people as if we were reporting for the eleven o’clock news.  Are they things to be remembered or forgotten?  A knee jerk reaction may be to hold on tighter to one’s history.  The past is comforting and secure.  We know the questions and the answers, yet we may not like them.

How is holding on to “times gone by” benefiting you NOW?  How might holding on be preventing you from moving ahead?  Many wonder, “How is it possible to forget what happened to me and why would I want to?”  One of the definitions of “forget” is to disregard on purpose.  You have to intentionally disregard the past so it doesn’t keep you from moving forward into the future.  That means forget the good as well as the bad.  Sometimes past successes can hold us back as much as past disappointments.  If we don’t let go of the old we can’t embrace the new.  I have heard so many say ”I was good once” and mourn for that greatness which they perceive is gone.  That longing and mourning serves no purpose and overshadows the gifts currently present in your life.  Many see their life as “going downhill” or over.  That perspective is a judgment and prevents you from seeing and accepting what is available to you now.

So “Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind ?”  If you are stuck where you don’t want to be, consider intentionally releasing “times gone by” to where they belong.   What we see depends mainly on what we look for. Look for what you want to see and you will be surprised to find it.  It won’t happen overnight.  Be patient with yourself as you “take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.”

How are “times gone by” holding you back from being successful now? If you don’t know you are not alone.  We can only change what we can see.  I would love to hear your thoughts.  Please email your comments to me at  Barbara@AnsenLeadership.com.