“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift, and that is why it’s called the present.”
– Master Oogway
History is important. Although I am not a fan of history in school, I find myself gazing into the past quite often. It is a process of self-reflection– for me and myself. Answering this question between the future and past, I would say I balance myself healthily between the two. But which do I believe is more important in the end?
The past is a time locked behind indestructible glass walls, where you cannot change anything about it. However, it reveals what happened back then that shapes who we are along with the world around us, and it has great influence on our present and future. History is all the mistakes we’ve made, the feats we’ve accomplished, and the friends we’ve made along the way. It’s helpful to take time to study ourselves a bit, our history, and what makes us– us.
The past prepares us for the future. Thinking about the future and how we can avoid the mistakes made in the past is how we improve ourselves. In the long run, the future gives us a path, a goal to work towards and a purpose. Without a future, there’s no point in doing anything now. In the short run, the future is all the possibilities that could happen anytime soon. I avoid the overwhelming and irrational what-if questions that come from thinking about the future too much.
The past influences what we do and the future keeps us on track in the present. What I do is establish a strong sense of what I want to be and what I don’t want to be. Then, I can subconsciously enjoy the present without straying too far from my purpose. Don’t think about times other than the present too much– but when you do, make sure you reflect upon those times meaningfully and with a critical mind.
Write Our World 