The Anatomy of Forward Thinking

"First of all, you can make the argument that there's no such thing as the past. Nobody lived in the past." - David McCullough

Although David's thought here is quite extreme, it stirs up the theme of this week's fundamental message; you can't live in the past. Human curiosity is about exploration, analysis, investigation and reasoning. For us to make certain conclusions, we must analyze the past. But oftentimes, because of our nature to do so, we tend to spend much time in our minds living there. 

I'm just as guilty as the next, and for me, I believe it occurs because of my desire to solve problems. How then, do I ensure that my inclination to be a problem solver, does not end up being more of an inhibitor in my life moving forward? To curb the unnecessary backward thinking, I established some “forward thinking” principles. 

First, I must continually express to myself this reality; nothing that is done can be undone. No matter how much I want something that has happened to change, it cannot. There is not a medium that exists to allow this transaction. When my mind starts to wander in that direction, it is up to me to interrupt the process, and dictate the transformation of thoughts. 

Second, I prepare myself for the knowledge the past can provide, and form an opinion on where it can be utilized. The history repeating itself argument is always valid, but there can be many other things learned. Take notes, research and form realistic conclusions on the data. How can the information assist me in achieving future results? What changes can I make today, that promote positive outcomes for tomorrow? 

Lastly, I purposefully allocate the majority of my thoughts and actions to planned and necessary subjects. The subjects may vary depending on the time of day, week or even year, but the application is always the same. These progressions in my mind, they are of the utmost importance. The past can provide tools, lessons and circumstance, but there is no place for their consumption of my thoughts. 

Our understanding of the mind is still in its infant stages. We have yet so much to discover. As individuals, however, we have the capacity to dictate where our minds take us. For me, I decide every day to plan on certain thought processes. Because the past is a formidable detractor, it is a continuous tug of war. Which is why I must stay in the conflict, and be present in the deliberation.

All the best!

James

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