The Past: A Mirror Reflecting Our Present and Shaping Our Future

KINGNAAFRIKA September 09, 2024

8 minutes read.

Image Source: Pexels

It’s easy to judge someone and feel like a god, but what would you have done differently if you were in their shoes? Talk is cheap, but being disciplined and working things out is hard. We can’t blame people for judging us and nobody likes to be judged. Everything about judgment comes with bitter facts. Nobody wants their bad past to be mentioned, but what are we doing presently to ensure we don’t remind people of our past?

Truth be told, we can’t expect people to forget our past or control what they do with that information. If you go for a job interview, the interviewer will base their decision on your past job experience and qualifications, not on a present promise that you’ll do the job well. Similarly, if you see a man with chiseled abs and muscles, it simply means he has been consistent in bodybuilding in the past.

In various segments of life—whether business, work, relationships, or leadership—we often make decisions based on someone’s past actions or even rumors about them. This extends to children as well. When a kid acts in a certain way, questions about their upbringing arise because it forms who they are presently and possibly who they will be in the future.

It’s wrong to be angry and pretend to be a victim when your past is brought up. In the past, you had options to do things differently, but you chose actions that are now unique to your personality. Therefore, you can’t blame people for bringing up your past.

The past is the reason people won’t lend you money today if you borrowed and didn’t pay back before. It’s why an ex-convict may never get a real job again, even after serving time. The past is what makes people stigmatize an HIV carrier, thinking they must have been wayward. It’s also why society looks at single mothers in a certain way.

All these examples highlight why we need to take our present seriously because the future will always point back to our past. Without conscious discipline, effort, and hard work to be better for ourselves—not for others—our past will always be used as a yardstick for the future. So, accept your past and stop fighting people for bringing it up. Instead, start doing things the right way today.

In conclusion, our past is a mirror reflecting our present and shaping our future. By acknowledging and learning from it, we can make better choices today that will positively influence our future. Use your tongue and count your teeth!