Living with the Ghosts of Past, Present and Future
Living with the Ghosts of Past, Present and Future
Christmas time is often one of reflection and consideration, as we look back at the year gone by and look forward to the year ahead, as was so masterfully captured in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and as Scrooge discovered, there is value in considering each part of our lives… 
The Past
Looking back can help us to learn lessons, but we must remember that whatever the mixture of successes and failures we experienced over the year, the trick is not to be haunted by the past. We shouldn’t dwell on previous mistakes or mishaps and allow the fear of future repeats to prevent us from trying again or taking new risks. Learn from the past, but don’t obsess over it; focusing on the past will make you miss things in the present.
The Present
Speaking of which, our use of time in the present moment is often forgotten or dismissed, despite various ads and promotions encouraging us to “live in the now”. If we’re honest, how often do we really stop and pause? With work deadlines looming, social plans approaching and notifications demanding imminent responses, it’s hard for us to remember to appreciate the now and stop sacrificing it to the future.
The Future
That being said, it’s important to also consider the future. We only need to think of last minute, frenzied Christmas shopping on the 24th to know that a lack of planning or foresight often lead to more stress and problems further along the line. So says the old adage “to fail to plan means to plan to fail”.
Much like in the story, as you’ve probably guessed, a healthy dose of each is important to living a life of good cheer…
