Romance the past but avoid adultery
Have you ever found yourself reliving old memories and longing for them again ? If so, be careful.
10 years into my career at Nova Scotia Power, it would still come up in casual conversations, “Yea, it’s just not the same here anymore—no Christmas turkey…” And the person would continue a romantic reflection on the past with a litany of things that had changed. Here’s the thing—the Christmas turkey was almost always the first thing you would hear on their list and what might surprise you, is the company stopped giving out Christmas turkeys more than 10 years before I even worked there !
There’s nothing wrong with loving the past but as one focuses more and more on “the way things were”, the more we narrow our perspective such that we see only the good of yesterday and see only the downside of today. Ultimately clinging to the pleasant aspects of the past wins victorious over the not-so-pleasant realities of one’s current life situation. This is adultery. Yes, adultery because one is cheating on the present.
Whether or not you agree romancing the past through the lens of the green-eyed monster is adultery, bottom line, focusing on what you do not possess, at work or at home, inevitably leads to one condition and one condition only—misery.
Here’s what I say. Life is short—too short to be miserable. So love your past. Love your present. Love your future.
It’s no secret—the simple recipe for loving the past, present and future lies in practicing gratitude by specifically focusing your grateful attention to all aspects of your life—past, present and future.
In the coming days and weeks, if you find yourself reliving old memories—that’s ok, so long as you continue to love the memories you’re creating today.
I hope this is a timely reminder. What do you think ?
