The past connections...

The past connections…

Often we hear statements such as: “Live in the present.” or

“Forget the Past.” Or better still “There is nothing in the past only think of the present and plan your future.”

When I hear such statements, I ask myself: Should we only live in the present and forget our past?

I think as an individual it becomes very difficult for me to think only of what is happening around me and finding no connection of this present to my past. Today as a writer on this blog and hopefully as an author in the future, I think certainly my past is going to influence my present and future writing. The simplest example is this blog article itself. Nowadays in this fast paced world where people perhaps live just for the present, may be they never realise how their past connects to their present and influences their future as who has the time to dwell into the past and reminisce about it. But, I can always feel those connections….

I am not disagreeing here with people who think that if holding onto their past is restricting their progress in the present hence it is better to forget the past. This makes sense and I certainly feel that nothing should stop you from making progress in this world. But, to think of it, hasn’t your past experiences where you have not been able to progress due to any circumstances had a strong influence on the decisions you take in life today which help you climb that ladder of success. Does this mean, no matter if we realise it or not we are constantly learning from our past and thereby planning the steps we take in the present.

Today, in one way or another we all are learning from our past and though we may claim to forget it, it actually forms a strong part of our present existence and identity. Let us look at a few ways of how our past connections shape our present perceptions:

A ruler or leader will always look at the past leaders and what helped them to lead effectively or what restricted their leadership being effective and learn from it to make his decisions as a leader. This is the reason where histories of a nation, place and culture affect the life and leadership at present. We have various examples of leaders in history who have failed to become effective leaders if they could not gauge the past experiences and expectations of people which influence the present day society.

A businessman will see his peers past experiences or his personal past experiences to understand which venture will result in more returns and better business opportunities.

A young child whilst preparing for academics will learn from past mistakes and try to ensure that those mistakes are not repeated.

A child as young as 2 or 3 years old will stay away from the fire lit by matchstick if he has got slightly burnt from it in the past.

A mother who due to some circumstances has had a miscarriage will be extremely cautious when she is pregnant again.

A teacher will never repeat the same lesson plan in class as it is if it did not work effectively in the previous class.

The above are just a few instant examples that occur to me when I thought of writing this article on how the past connections are always influencing our present perceptions and decisions. I am certain an avid reader will during his personal reflections come up with more such examples. But that is something I would like my reader to explore himself/herself.

I think by now the readers of this blog understand that my purpose for writing these blog articles as I had mentioned in my first article is to rediscover myself and may be at times pose some questions and share some thoughts with my readers which will make them ponder upon some aspects of life which are often overlooked.

Today, the way I am as a person has not occurred by itself. I am sure as a person I have transformed and transformed through my past experiences which have made me the person that I am. There are some days when the pleasant past experiences make me more confident and strong as an individual. There are also some unpleasant past experiences which make me reflect upon instances where things could have been different but unfortunately were not. Whether, pleasant or unpleasant experiences, my past helps me shape my perceptions and present decisions.

I am sure that the readers of this blog article will at some point reflect on how their past creates connections…. For their present.