No Future in the Past

The man looked a little worried when the doctor came in to administer his annual physical, so the first thing the doctor did was to ask whether anything was troubling him.

"Well, to tell the truth, Doc, yes," answered the patient. "You see, I seem to be getting forgetful. No, it's actually worse than that. I can never remember where I park my car, where I'm going, or what it is I'm going to do once I get there -- if I get there. So, I really need your help. What can I do?"

The doctor mused for a moment, then answered kindly, "Pay me in advance."

Actually, forgetfulness isn't all bad...especially when we decide to forget all that pain from the past that threatens to ruin the present. Like one song says, "There ain't no future in the past."

The past is to be remembered -- how else will we learn from it and keep from repeating it? But why would I want to remember every time I felt hurt because of my spouse, my children, my friends, my boss or anybody else? Why would I want to fill my mind with a detailed catalogue of past pain? Better to remember the times
they brought me joy or love or feelings of warmth. Unfortunately, even those wonderful and magical moments too easily fade away.

A friend of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, asked her about a particular traumatic event in her life. Miss Barton seemed perplexed.

"Can't you remember?" the friend prodded.

Clara Barton replied, "I distinctly remember forgetting it."

Dwell on the past -- but not the negative past, not the pain of the past nor the sadness. Dwell on the good. Be consumed by past joys and obsessed with gratitude. Dwell upon the moments that uplifted you, the times you laughed and the memories of love shown to you by friends and family.

Not everything should be remembered, and those who live well know what to forget and what to cherish. Like the song says, "There ain't no future in the past." But there IS joy there. And love. And kindness...if we choose to remember.

-- Steve Goodier

Steve Goodier holds a B.A. in anthropology and sociology (New Mexico State University) and an M.Div. degree from Emory University. He is the author of numerous books about personal development, motivation, inspiration, and making needed life changes. For more on his books please go to http://www.lifesupportsystem.com/books.html

He is the founder and publisher of Your Life Support System, an e-zine with 75,000 subscribers since 1999. Through this daily e-mail newsletter, he sends out hope and encouragement to a worldwide community of readers. To sign up FREE, please go to http://www.lifesupportsystem.com