I posted “Don’t live in your past” October last year … a year has passed and I want to add a bit more to it.
OK, the past is important to us, made us what we are today … we are a product of our past but DON’T BE A PRISONER of it.
Like I said in the previous post … as much as we cherish the many good memories of our past, remember the good old times, think about the happy moments and reminisce about the various chapters of our lives … don’t live in your past.
Live now and look at the present.
You may have done 50 marathons around the world … but now, as age is catching up, you don’t have the physical ability to do it anymore … then talk about what other physical activities that you can do now. Talk about the ping pong game that you are going to play with your friends today … maybe it does not have the same glory of a marathon but at least that is something you are living and doing now. You don’t have to keep harping about the glories you once had, trying to live that moment again ... you can’t, it has passed.
Maybe you have traveled the world for 30 years … you probably have hundreds of photos you want to show to everyone … well, I am not saying you should not. I am sure you must have talked about it for 30 years already and shared a lot of photos too … so maybe that is enough. Why not talk about some other places that you may want to go today … maybe not as exotic as those places that you have visited … maybe it is just a local temple in Seremban but hey, that is something new to talk about … isn’t it? Rather than repeating what you have told people for the last 30 years.
You was
once a CEO of a huge MNC … you have successfully handled big mergers
and acquisitions and brought the company to the top of the corporate world. You
used to have the influence and power, calling all the shots … but that is all
in the past. You cannot live those glories again ... you left the corporate world and no longer have the authority …
so, sit back and enjoy the gardening time you have now, your morning walks or spend
time with your spouse at the groceries.
You see … at times we came across an old photo or listened to an old song or tasted an old recipe that may bring back some good moments we had … it is good to share those moments every now and then … it is good to reminisce these past moments and it is perfectly OK to talk about it.
Don’t wake up every morning searching folders for photos of your past glories … using them to show and tell stories of how good you were, how fantastic you have been and how well you used to be … trying to live and talk as if you are still in that time, at that moment and enjoying that glory.
As we grow older, there are plenty we can still do within our ability and capability … well, it may not be as glory as what we did before but that is OK … it doesn’t has to be. The fact is, many things in our lives CANNOT be as good as they were then … so, let the glory past go and live our lives adapting to things within our capability now, learn to do new things that is relevant to our present and talk about what we are doing at the moment.
I think we all can reflect and reminisce on our past while continuing to move ahead with our lives. We can move with our past along our side and still see where we are heading … but don’t be surrounded by our past (good or bad) to the extent that we cannot see (or refuse to see) what is coming.
Don’t hold on to your past too often, too strong and too close to your chest … let it go and you will be able to open your arms to embrace the present.
