Taking the past out of the “future” drawer

The present is given by the future, but we unwittingly file the past (our many experiences good and bad, how we interpreted them, what we decided about them, the conclusions we made, etc.) into a future drawer. In doing so, we act, think, and believe as if the present is given by the past.

While it appears as if it's the past that's shaping our present-day choices and actions, it really isn't. What actually has the influence is the future we're living into. If we think about it, what inspires us, what moves us, or what stops and defeats us, is directly a function of how we see the future in front of us.

When we recognize that our interpretations of past experiences (and the weight we give them) as well as the futures we're creating are a series of conversations, it becomes clear that we have a choice. We have dominion in the world of saying, giving us hands-on access to a world that's malleable and open to being created.