Trapped In The Past

"You cannot kill time without injuring eternity." - Henry David Thoreau

               Each of us have used hundreds or thousands of hours trying to recapture that which we never had in the first place.  We allow the needs of the now to be pushed aside for the hope of reliving a day or time that has long since taken its place in history.  Yes, the past is sadly what far too many of us invest all our present in.

                Doesn't it seem odd that we complain and fuss so much about our present life and then, just a few years down the road, we desire more than anything to get it back?  Here is a fact that all success-minded people must accept.  It may seem hard and without feeling, but it is a reality: The past is gone - over - done - finished - never to return.

                The past does have its use to us.  When looked at and embraced properly there is much benefit to be had from the past.  Here are just a few of the many treasures we can gain in the present from the past:

We Learn from The Past

                Experience is a great teacher.  There is much to learn from the things we have done; our failures and successes in life.  There is an old adage that says, "Experience is the best teacher." where I agree with the premise, I feel that it is incomplete.  Dr. John Maxwell often changes this saying in a way that makes it clearer and more useful.  Maxwell says, "Applied experience, is the best teacher."  It is when we apply what we have learned from an experience that we become better.  The experience is of little use to us on its own outside of the bases for a good story.

                We can also learn from the experience of others.  This is where the vital importance of books, teachings and mentors come in.  When we learn from the experience of others we save ourselves a great deal of time and trouble.  We discover what has worked for others in the past and what we need to avoid.  The person who insists on "learning for myself" in life is not just wasting time, they are being a fool.  By avoiding the mistakes of others you save yourself a great deal of hurt and work.  After all, you don't have to drink poison to know it will kill you.

We Grow from The Past

                Recently in a radio interview I was asked about what caused me to pursue my dream of helping others pursue their dream.  I had not thought about that in a while, but quickly told of the day a dear friend gave me a copy of the classic Napoleon Hill book, Think And grow Rich.  That book began a process that changed my life.  It was not the idea of wealth that attracted me nor the possibility of business, but rather the idea that I could do this.  It was as if Hill gave me permission to succeed.

                One of the things I discovered in life coaching is that many people do not need to be told how to succeed, they have it in them.  Many people do not need to be told what to succeed at, they have their dreams.  What people need most is the permission to succeed.  That is right, permission.  We need someone of authority, who we respect to say it is okay and we can do this. 

                Most successful people can point to the time where they stopped listening to the many voices saying they could not succeed, they needed to be practical, or they did not have what it takes, and started listening to the few (often just one) voices that said, "You can do this.  I believe in you!"

                Here is the amazing part.  Napoleon Hill wrote and published that book long before I was even born and I read it years after he had passed.  So how can I credit him with making such a transformation in my life?  I learned from the past and I grew.

                Our lives are filled with things from the past which by learning from we can grow.  We do not live in the past, it is gone, but we do become different and we gain from the past.  Or as Lewis Carroll, author of Alice Through The Looking Glass, wrote, "I can't go back to yesterday - because I was a different person then."

We Can Enjoy The Past

                I love history!  I love to read it, experience it and seek it out.  I had the great honor of working at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan for many years.  I just loved being surrounded by all that history.  As much as I loved seeing it, I did not want to go back to it.  Many people would come in to the old homes in Greenfield Village (the outdoor section of the museum) as say, "Wouldn't be great to go back and live in that time?"  My response was, "There is a reason people died of old age at 40 back then."

                History has a romance to it.  It talks to us of a simpler time and a fuller life.  The answer however in not to go back to it but to enjoy what we have.  You do not have to experience history to enjoy it.  Have you ever had to heat a room by a fireplace?  Looks nice but the only thing that is warm is what is facing the fire.  I have a fireplace in my home and I use it often.  I love on a winter's night to have a roaring fire and a good book - and CENTRAL HEATING.

                As much as I enjoy the past, I do not wish to live there.  I like the modern connivances and technology.  In no way does my present keep me from enjoying the past.  In fact, we are able to enjoy it more than those who lived in it.  For us it is fun, for them it was survival.

                Success-minded people must learn from the past, not live in the past.  Success-minded people must grow beyond the past, not stay lock in it.  Success-minded people must enjoy the past, not relive the past.  Success-minded people must teach the lessons from the past, not re-invent the wheel.  The past is great, but never forget that it is the past and must be respected but never become the focus of our dreams.

To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey