Life – what is it? Is it just a collection of achievements or the ever-evolving dreams and plans for the future? Is it success that we have gathered over the years or is it the great vision of how things would unfold in the future? For me, it is somewhere in the middle – a combination of all three: my past, present, and the future.
Often, we hear that we should focus only on the present. Although this makes sense, I believe that our lessons from the past and our hopes for the future also play a part in laying down the foundations for life. Let us, therefore, do a deep dive and examine how our past, present and future help us to define who we are and allow us to live in fulfilment.
The Past
With regard to the past, we may well have been guilty, sometimes because of the decisions we made and sometimes because of the decisions we did not make. Either way, living in the past or thinking about the past is rarely fruitful, for it can lead to misery, disappointment and anger.
However, we do not have to shun our past, which is the repository of one of our biggest allies – experience. This experience, which can be the fruit of an enormous success or grand failure, is completely independent of the outcome. Albert Einstein defines it thus;
‘…the only source of knowledge is experience’.
But see how Einstein did not add any positive or negative value judgement to this? The reason behind it is that outcomes are only ever temporary, whereas experience is lasting. If we have been successful in the past, we know about the things and processes that work, and if we failed in the past, we know what processes and things do not work. Indeed, we get to know how to modify and make the necessary adjustments. Therefore, if we are willing to look at the experience and learn, then it holds tremendous power.
Often we love to live in the glory of our past successes and the times when we were on top and doing well, but often, while basking in the glory of our successes, we fail to see if there were any areas for improvement. The moment we stop looking for areas of improvement, we are not utilizing the complete potential of the experiences from our past. On the flip side, we do the same thing but in reverse. While pondering over our failures, we focus too much on the things we did not achieve and again fail to identify any areas of improvement.
In looking at my past, instead of identifying successes and failures, if I looked for areas of improvement, my past could provide deep insight into what I can do in my present and future to build a better and more fulfilled life. In one of the most inspiring pieces of poetry, Rudyard Kipling reminds us:
If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same;
if you view ‘disasters’ as opportunities to learn and course-correct, and ‘triumphs’ as a means for celebrating those around us, who had a part in that triumph,
then ‘yours is the earth and everything that’s in it!’
The Future
With regard to the future, just like the past, we spend our time daydreaming. We make great plans for tomorrow and often start imagining their rewards. However, we all know what happens next. We lose track of our present and thereby nothing is gained. So in short, maybe we should not be spending too much of our time in the future.
We also know that motivation and hope are two incredible catalysts in everyone’s journey. When our hearts are filled with hope, we often work harder and raise the bar of our performance. When our minds are motivated towards a goal, we are very focused and inclined to give our best. So, it would not be incorrect to say that one should have great plans and hopes for our future. These plans, hopes and motivations inspire us to achieve great things. They empower us to push our limits and unlock our potential.
Another factor to consider is not letting the fear of failure to guide us. These hopes and aspirations should be a source of positivity in our life. By positivity, I do not mean that I will get what I dream for; it means that irrespective of the outcome, I will accept and improve myself. If I achieve my goals, I will take all the learning forward, and if I do not achieve my goals, I will review what I have done and ensure that I do not make the same mistakes again.
The Present
This moment in time, this very second, is probably the most important factor in building the foundation of a perfect life. If we think about it, we are alive only in this moment, not the one that passed or the one that is yet to come. This is our moment to shine and it defines who we are. In the animation cartoon, ‘Kung Fu Panda’, when Master Oogway finds Disciple Po struggling to live up to the role of the Dragon Warrior, he says,
Quit, don’t quit. Noodles, don’t noodles. You are too concerned with what was and what will be. There’s a saying ‘Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is Mystery, but Today is a Gift’. That is why it is called the PRESENT!
I do not think there has been a better statement exemplifying the value and power of the PRESENT. The beauty of the present is that you can use the learning from the past and your hopes and aspirations for the future and put everything into motion in the present. If you can spend every moment working on improving yourself, upgrading yourself then you would set yourself up for living a fulfilled life.
Often, when we hear about making improvements, such matters relate to our worldly achievements – i.e. the educational degree that we seek, the dream job we are looking for or the wealth we can acquire. To be honest, all of these are worthy goals because we need to sustain ourselves in this world, but the improvement that I am talking about is beyond the material world, and certainly beyond the senses. This improvement is focused on who we are – i.e. our real self. We have heard and learned from the Scriptures that we are not just this mortal frame, but a part of the Infinite. We are in truth, the INFINITE.
The realization of our true self and then a perpetual awareness of it, is the real improvement. While in this human form, are we striving to become a better version of our self? Are we becoming a better human being? Are we kinder than we were yesterday? Are we filled with more compassion this year, than we were the last? These are the improvements that one should seek and it is only possible by living in the present, at this moment in time.
I think we need to understand that my Past, Present and Future are the pillars on which I can build the foundation of a perfect life. I learn from my past, I hope and dream of great things in the future, and I work hard towards improving myself in the Present. If I can do these, then I have the right ingredients to build a fulfilled, and fulfilling, life!
Let us conclude with these words from Robert Frost, with the hope that they invite us to peek into the past and strengthen our belief in ourselves, inspiring us all to build great dreams for the future. Above all, I pray that these words push the boundaries for you and me, so that we are enabled to do great things IN THIS MOMENT IN TIME!
These woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
– Robinder Sidhu, Toronto, Canada
