Has anybody ever told you that, be in the present? Well, we all have heard this saying that one should “live in the present”. But, I have a pretty different perspective towards this belief. I believe that past, present and future should all have the equal importance in one’s life. Giving one thought more time can make things complex.
Before we go any further let’s talk about what exactly is living in present about. So, the way I think of it as, when you are in the same place physically and mentally, you are living the present to the fullest.
The problem with this kind of thinking is that you lack the skills to learn, grow and improve. The only way a person learns is from its mistakes. The things that you have done in the past that you could have done differently. When you think about the past you realize your mistakes, then you can really learn, grow and improve. I am not saying that one should ruminate, but a glimpse of the past events that can help us improve. The place we come from matters a lot in what we are today. Thinking about the future also helps a person plan ahead of the time. If we are not thinking about the future then we don’t really have a vision. I am not saying that we should not live in the present. What I am trying to say is that, every person should have a window of time when they can think about the future and make some goals and decision ahead of time and also learn from the past so that those mistakes are not repeated again.
Enjoying the present is important but we should remember that the stage is temporary and you might have to step down to get on the other one. I think of this as simple as climbing a ladder. When you start mounting up, when you are at the first step you see the destination and aim for reaching to the top (future). When you are climbing a you look back, then you know that where you have reached and where you began from (past). And during the whole process you are climbing up every step of the ladder carefully and gradually (present).
This is something that I personally feel and follow and it has always worked for me. Everything that I expressed is my own perspective. There are many things that I have accomplished just because I have follow this pattern in life.
