The Past Is The Past

Sometimes, I think about the things that I have done in the past and I can’t help but also think of things that I would have done differently. Frustratingly enough, the past cannot be changed. It is something that we all deal with. The past is a reflection of the path that we have taken over the years. It is the result of our choices and the collective ignorance of humanity.

The past has to be appreciated in order to recapture its value and then move forward with it to find new solutions to problems. This is a life lesson that everyone should learn. It is all too easy to let the past go and try to live with only what we know of today. What people forget is that the past is the present and you need to know how to embrace it in order to live a better future. The past can help define your life, give you direction and reshape your character and personality but often, people don’t celebrate their past. Life has many complexities, but one of the things that can help you get through them is knowing your history. It would be great if you could talk to your ancestors and seek their advice, but since this isn’t possible, you have to find another means of finding out about the experiences that have been lived by your forefathers. Haha

We cannot change the past.

There are moments in our lives when we look back and wonder, “What if…?” Our mind wanders; we start imagining all the possibilities. We often think about the past, but we never do anything about it. We think about what we could have done differently, how it would have changed things, or how things would have turned out had we chosen differently.

Life is a long series of “what ifs”. Sometimes we regret them and we just want to hit that “Ctrl Z” key, but they are in the past and nothing can be done now. If we choose to think back on our past, it is because it has some significance in our present. We regret our actions but at the same time want to use this hindsight to make things better for our future.The past cannot really be changed – no matter how much we reminisce it or overthink it.

The past should act as a reference point, something to learn from and move on from. When people keep bringing up the past, it's an indication that they haven't yet let go of the things that happened. There are people who will do anything for an excuse to bring up the past, and there are people who think that learning from the past is as important as learning from the future. Either way, here are a few things you may want to know about why the past is so significant to other people.

The past as a bridge - The past is a bridge that helps us move towards tomorrow. It's the source of our knowledge, wisdom and experience. Now I understand that my past does not define me. I am not my past. I know that no matter what has occurred in the past, or how many times I've gone around it, it can not be changed. You see, the past isn't the thing that bothers me anymore. It's the bad memories made from it that I can't forget. However, they're just memories and they have no power over us unless we let them. I'm finally old enough to say that a mistake you've made doesn't make you who you are today. If you've done something wrong, don't let your past define you. Forgive yourself and continue to do the right thing today and in the future.

I've had to learn this lesson over and over again through hard times. Even though I didn't mean to, it was easy for me to let my past mistakes keep me stuck.