The Past, the Future, and everything in between

“Memory looks back in order to move forward” ~ Marty Rubin

In today’s high-achieving and fast-paced society, we impatiently race ahead to the next challenge before the dust can even settle on the previous one. Whilst we often convince ourselves that we are “living in the moment”, we’re generally telling ourselves “it’s time to move” and pushing forwards towards the future. In our burning desire to move full force into the future, we tend to associate the act of “looking back” with a negative connotation.

While the rear view window seems less exciting and less important than the windscreen in front of you, your rear view window is absolutely vital! If you don’t use the present moment sensibly and pay attention to what is behind you, you can quite easily find yourself caught up in a major accident. As is such in life: often we need to take a step back from our daily routines and spend time acknowledging just how far we’ve truly come. 

Now as you’re reading this article, I want you to stop and analyze. I want you to think about who you were 3 years ago. How old were you? What did your daily life look like back then? What was your biggest worry or fear? What were you dreaming to achieve? Answer these questions for yourself. Now, I want you to think about your life right at this very moment, and compare the two. Did you achieve the goals that you set out for yourself, or are you mourning for the past worries you once had? Are you proud of who you’ve become?

A year ago, you were possibly sitting down to study for your Class 12 Physics exam, trying to figure out how a “moving coil galvanometer” works, not ever imagining that you may be in a Junior Rugby Union team right now. Or a few months ago, you were maybe only able to leg press 80kgs in your local small-town gym, and now you’re leg pressing 80kgs as your warm up in a UXi High Performance super gym! Or this time a few years ago, you were possibly going through one of the toughest times in your life, that you felt you’d never get through, but here you are today, stronger than ever. We could go on about the number of turns that time has created in our lives; nevertheless, when we look back at our past, no matter how long ago, different or difficult it was, we are able to reflect on how we have grown as individuals.

On the flip side, whilst the view out of the windscreen may be exhilarating, there is an undeniable danger in trying to look beyond what you can clearly see. When we drive, we don’t focus on the road that’s a kilometer away; that would be pointless and dangerous. We focus on the road in front of us right now. In today’s society, there is an unwavering amount of pressure put on young people to have their entire lives figured out overnight, and know each move they’re going to make at each moment in their lives; constantly trying to be years ahead of the present. More often than not, our minds are plagued by future or anticipated trouble that we feel like we need to try and control. 

Maybe you’re worrying about sustaining an injury in one of your rugby matches, and thinking “what impact will that have on the rest of my life going forwards”. Or perhaps you’re worried what your future may look like if you don’t get selected for that u/20 squad or earn that University bursary – what then? “If I don’t achieve X, then that means Y will happen”; the “what if’s” and ”should haves” are exhausting, right? At the end of the day, the only hindrance greater than refusing to acknowledge the lessons of the past, is worrying too much about the uncontrollable future.

Now I know what you’re thinking…between appreciating the past and not getting so caught up in the future, when did living in the present get so complex? It’s mentally and physically draining! So what do we do? The power is the principle of practicing mindfulness and taking comfort in the act of moving forwards throughout your day “one step at a time”. The past has gone – learn and grow from it. The future is going to come regardless – worrying about it now won’t change it. All we have is right now – use the present moment wisely and earnestly. Simply apply the principle of moving forward.

The secret to health for both mind and body, in perfect balance, is the carrying coil of wellness. Remember, the body is not to mourn its past mistakes, but be in a position of health and celebrate the future.