Don't Be in a Rush to Get to the Future
Don't dwell on the past. There's nothing you can do about it, so why worry about it? What's done is done. This seems like pretty sound advice, right? There has to be some wisdom in putting the past behind us. After all, isn't that what Timon and Pumba taught us in Disney's Lion King? Hakuna Matata—putting our behind in the past. Or was it your past behind you? Either way, it involves a catchy song, so it must be true and wise advice, right?
I think we at least want to believe it. We don't like to dwell on our past. You and I have made plenty of mistakes in our past. Like me, I am sure that you have plenty of things in your past that are best forgotten. It's time to hurry up and get to the future. Move on. Life's too short to overthink about what once was. But what if I told you that pushing our past further behind us in a rush to get to the future might not be the best idea? What if I told you we all have a story to tell, and whether it is good or bad, it all matters?
Despite the seductive lure of the future, there is an incredible advantage to remembering the past—three advantages specifically. First, what's true of history is also true of ourselves. If we don't remember and learn from our own history, we are doomed to repeat it. Even though we have all made mistakes, choosing to look past those mistakes, forgetting them, and moving on only sets us up for failure in the very future we are looking forward to. Second, rushing to the future prevents us from healing from the past. We have to treat our emotional injuries much like we do our physical injuries—allow them the necessary time to heal correctly and fully. Sprinting to the future risks re-injury, or worse, permanent damage. And finally, there are things in the past to celebrate. While we want to learn from our past mistakes, we also want to remember and celebrate the wins in our past. They are a crucial part of shaping you into the person you are becoming. Never forget to celebrate the good stuff.
Timon and Pumba may have had it all wrong. But they eventually got the point. Your past plays a crucial role in the story you are telling and in who you are becoming. It's not about forgetting your past and doing everything you can to move on and move forward. Instead, it's about navigating your history successfully so you can properly deal with and learn from the bad stuff and at the same time embrace, remember, and celebrate the good stuff.
We all have a story to tell. And every part of that story is critical.
Challenges/Points:
Sometimes it's tempting to just forget the past, but the past has so much to teach us; remembering it is critical.
If we fail to remember the past, to learn and heal from our mistakes, we will live in danger of repeating it.
If we fail to celebrate the success of the past, we won't allow those moments to shape our future in the right direction.
Questions:
Take a few minutes and think about some of your past experiences. What's something you've learned from and something you can celebrate?
Is there something in your past, a mistake you have made, that you find yourself repeating?
Make a list of your past successes. How have these moments shaped you, and how are you celebrating that?
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