Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The Past is Over

I've read somewhere that the act of remembering something alters the memory itself. So, over time, what we recall of our past, inevitably, changes.
We tend to believe that we cannot change the past. That is essentially true in a physical sense, since we live in a linear world. What we can change, however, is our view of the past. Let's say, for example, we did something in the past which we regret. Today we live with the consequences of our past action. If we choose to atone for the past action, we alter our view of it. We amend the past by making amends!
The way we view the past from our present standpoint, then, makes all the difference. If we only focus on regret or guilt, we do not alter the memory for the better; we only validate it as a negative experience. If we amend our view of the past, we take a step towards mending our present self. This doesn't mean glossing over past wrongs. It means acceptance and love of all life experiences, for they are all rich with learning opportunities. Who couldn't say they have learned more from their failures than from their successes?

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