Some of us spend our lives looking back, others of us live only for the moment, and many of us get caught endlessly dreaming about the future. Life is at its richest though when the past, present, and the future come together in beautiful harmony.
- We don’t ignore the past; we allow it to shape and guide us.
- We don’t ignore the present; for the present is where life is lived.
- We don’t ignore the future; without it we have no sense of direction.
Living for the moment seems to have a very high value for many today. This on many levels is great. We DO need to live in the moment. The moment is where life is lived. We miss out on life if we ignore the present and only dwell on the past or do nothing whilst imagining what could be.
Sadly, living for the moment all too often is symptomatic of a life without direction. Life becomes nothing more than a collection of random choices, moments, and experiences.
This may feel great for a while, but it doesn’t last. And, it definitely doesn’t lead to a life of maximising and unleashing our full potential.
When our choices in the present are informed by the context of our past and the dreams for our future, that is when our life takes on a momentum and direction that is meaning-full.
A FEW QUESTIONS FOR CONVERSATION
- How would you say your life is being shaped by the past, present, and future at the moment?
- What have your experiences been when you know these haven’t been in beautiful harmony?
- What could you do to find a healthier balance between the past, present, and the future?
[Read the rest of the Living the life of your dreams series]
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
For me, identifying and focusing on a core purpose has helped balance past and future, and effort across various parts of my life. Concentrating on the core purpose as a life’s mission takes away some of the pressure to do everything right now and the regret often associated with letting an opportunity pass unfulfilled.
Hey Sam.. just wanted to say i love the new site.. things have been a bit busy on my end keeping up with things, but i do, even from a distance…
as for your questions… i think i skew more heavily on present and future… but it’s a lot of keep in mind at every moment.. how often do you suggest people review stuff like this? sometimes i can be knee deep just enjoying or living in the moment.. and other times i can get lost in reflection and defining, etc…
Samuel,
~Dreams are about future hopes and aspirations. If we dream of past events we are clearly living in the past.
I am sure you agree with this?
@Mike | Thanks for that, Mike!
@Lon | Thanks! Glad you like the new site. Great question by the way. And you’re right. If we are constantly trying to be thinking about the past, present, and future all the time, we’d get nothing done. I think that, like you, I tend to sit most naturally in the present and future, but I know that periodically I need to slow down and make sure I’m learning from what I’m doing – the past – as otherwise I’m going to keep repeating the same mistakes. As to how often you do that, you probably just need to find what feels comfortable. And that should be judged based on whether it is adding momentum to what you’re doing or holding you back.
@John | You’re right. Dreams are about future hopes and aspirations. If we are ‘dreaming’ about the past and endlessly thinking about trying to recreate ‘the good old days’, we are living in the past and are never going to move forward. The past is there to remember, to learn from, and to inform us about future dreams. We don’t live there or dream about it, but we don’t ignore it either.