Past + Present + Future= Your Happiness

These ideas have been whirling around in my head for a while, but I've pushed them away or other things have taken precedence over them. I think it's about time that I give them some thought, so here it goes....
Almost every day I look at my life and what I am doing with it. On the days I don’t look at it, I am either (1) not proud of what I see, so I turn the other cheek—not the best option, btw— or (2) am too busy living in the moment that I realize worrying about the past or what is yet to come is irrelevant to me at that exact moment.

Regardless of which direction I choose on any given day, I believe it is extremely important to look at one’s life, the events that led up to it, and the goals to get one to where he or she desires to go. I’m not saying dwell on the past, and I am surely not saying plan every detail of the future. What I am saying is there should be a good balance of the past, present, and future in life and what one does with it.

Some say, “Leave the past in the past.” Why? What’s the reasoning behind that? Isn’t the past the responsible party that got you where you are today? Even if you had a slew of unfathomable events that happened to you over the past ten years, did nothing good come from that? That’s hard for me to believe. Surely, even in the darkest times, some lessons were learned, tools were created, and/or good (in one shape or another) appeared.

Others argue “live in the moment.” This is the one I agree with the most, but I also think it is a good idea to access one’s past and future while doing the whole living-in-the-moment thing.  I guess what I am saying is don’t forget where you came from and what/who made you who you are today. On the flip side, make sure you are making the best of today so if you are given tomorrow, it can be ever better.

And then there are those who only live for the future. The ones who plan, plan, plan and worry, worry, worry. I can definitely relate to these people because this was me from ages 0-25.  I always had a plan and did everything I could to control the events that would make my plan successful. If things weren’t perfect and didn’t go according to plan, I either worried or panicked: worried because I was unprepared and didn’t know what would happen next, or panicked because I wasn’t used to life not working out according to the plan (because 10 times out of 10, it did… seriously). Wow, was I wrong (for me and my happiness)! I am more than grateful that my “plans” (ha!) didn’t play out and that He had better, greater plans in mind for me. With that being said, having an idea of what you want for tomorrow and goals to work towards will never hurt anyone. Just be aware that your "plans" are just that: plans (and maybe not reality).

So, here's my challenge to you and to myself: Take some time to look at your life: the past, the present, the future.

The Past: What happened to get you where you are? What tools did those events provide for you to use in the life you have now? Instead of focusing on the “bad” and “unfair” things that happened (note: past tense), would it be in your better interest to focus on the “lessons learned” and put those lessons to use in a more positive, constructive manner? Maybe not, and you are the only judge of that. It’s your life. If you think you are serving yourself better by letting the past lead you, go right ahead. The most important thing is that YOU are happy with the way YOU are living YOUR life.

The Present: How are you living TODAY... right now? Are you happy? If so, why? If not, what can you change this second that will make you happy and put a smile on your face? (Maybe you don't want happiness and it's not a priority to you. If that's the case and you aren't happy, then you are apparently right on track. Good job! You can stop reading now.) How are you using the tools that you've been given to make you and your happiness the best, ever? What can you do today that will improve you, your family, your career, and your overall wellness? If you are waiting for something more, why wait? What would doing it right NOW hurt?

The Future: What do you want for yourself in the future? What are your priorities and what can't you live without? How are you preparing yourself today to make tomorrow even better? If things don't work out exactly how you are expecting, are you ready to laugh it off and judge it as lessons learned and not as failure? If so, good for you!! If not, what do you need to be doing to get to that mindset? Are there things that you want, need, or desire that you can have today? If so, why wait for tomorrow?

Life is complicated, but it can also be fun! Smile, laugh, love, be happy. XOXO