THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW!

Time is regarded as one of the most precious gifts. Time exists before the birth of a child who develops to be an adult and after the death of an individual. Human beings intuitively divide time into the past, present and the future. It is therefore important to note three key points when relating to matters of time or an individual’s existence.  They can be seen as phases and moments of life. They are inevitable with regards to matters of life. These three key points include:

§  The Past – tells of previous events.

§  The Present – speaks of ‘now’.

§  The Future – ‘the unknown’ tells of events that are yet to take place or occur.

Some people have failed to know that this trio has influence on one another. No present without a past! Neither can we have the future without the present!

A lot of questions, opinions and perceptions have emanated with regards to these points. Here in this article, we’ll be bringing to you facts and truths you need to know about them. These facts and truths are going to help reshape your perceptions, provide important advice and set you in motion towards taking the right steps in life.

Below are things you need to know about the past, present and future:

ü  REALITY OF THE PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE
1.  Today which is present, was once future and will soon be past! Make today count!! There can be no date as today again!!!

2.     All moments, past, present and future always have existed, always will exist. 

3.       “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present” – B. Olatunji

4.       “The future is stardust because you can dream it. The present is clay because you can mold it. But the past is stone because you can never change it”.

ü  LIVING IN THE PAST

5.       Bring the past only if you’re going to build from it – Domenico Cieri Estrada

6.        If at some point you have to get to your past, just visit it. Don’t live there.

7.       Don’t let the ugly experiences of yesterday prevent you from seeing and accepting today’s opportunities that can result in a better future.

8.       “Never let your memories be greater than your dreams” – Doug Ivester

9.       “There’s no future in spending our present worrying about our past” – Tom Wilson

10.   “Living the past is a dull and lonely business; looking back strains the neck muscles, causing you to bump into people not going your way” – Edna Ferber

11.   “Losers live in the past. Winners learn from the past and enjoy working in the present toward the future” – Denis Waitley

12.   “Do not brood over your past mistakes and failures as this will only fill your mind with grief, regret and depression. Do not repeat them in the future” – Swami Sivananda

13.   “We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners to it” – Rick Warren

14.   “If you want to fly on the sky, you need to leave the earth. If you want to move forward, you need to let go the past that drags you down” – Amit Ray

ü  IMPORTANCE OF TODAY/PRESENT/NOW

15.    Pile up too many tomorrows and you’ll find that you’ve collected nothing but a bunch of empty yesterdays. – Anonymous. Enough of procrastination! Make moves and efforts today!

16.   Today’s decisions will have consequences in the future either positive or negative. So, before you make decisions and take steps, weigh your options on the positive and negative balance and consider the consequences.

Today’s failure to say no to early and unprotected sexual intercourse can lead to several grievous consequences in the future.

Today’s failure to study hard will reflect in the future (not just tests and exams).

 Just to mention a few.

17.   “What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now.”

18.   “We think about all of our tomorrows, but we don’t know how may they are, so let’s start making the most of our Todays!” – Ivana Trump

19.   What you are is what you have been. What you’ll be is what you do now.” – Buddha

20.   Learn to make today good and enjoyable because today can become tomorrow’s good or bad memory later.

ü  DWELLING ON PAST ACHIEVEMENTS/SUCCESSES

21.    Don’t dwell on your past achievements. You can have more. It is said that the greatest room in the world is the room for improvement. To remain relevant, you have to be up and doing! Imagine if Nokia had stopped at the manufacture of Nokia 3310 phones in today’s world. The rest you know.

22.   There are times when people bring back bad memories of your past with the aim to hurt your present experience(s) that appear good and beautiful. This is what you have to do: Smile and tell them ‘The past is what it is, nothing but THE PAST’.

23.   Because all experiences of the past are not totally bad, it is not wrong or out of place to visit the good memories of the past as they make us happy even in the present.

24.   “The past is a stepping stone, not a millstone” – Robert Plant

ü  LEARNING FROM THE PAST

25.   “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it” – George Santayana

Knowledge of the past keeps you from making similar errors as such in the present.

26.   “Some of the best lessons we ever learn are learned from past mistakes. The error of the past is the wisdom and success of the future” – Dale Turner

27.   “What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now.”

28.   “Life is divided into three terms – that which was, which is and which will be. Let us learn from the past to profit by the present, and from the present, to live better in the future” – William Wordsworth

29.    “Use the losses and failures of the past as a reason for action, not inaction” – Charles J. Givens

30.    “The past is a stepping stone, not a millstone” – Robert Plant

31.    “Man spend his life in reasoning on the past, in complaining of the present, in fearing future” – Antoine Rivarol. Be the different man!

32.   For Youths, the time to learn from our past and the past of elders is now. Else, our future may just be heading the way of elder’s past.

ü  DEALING WITH THE FUTURE

33.   We may not know what the future holds but rather than living in fear of it, commit it into the hands of Him that owns the future (God) because He has your best at heart.

34.   Do not fret about the future rather make plans to make it better!