Reflecting On The Past Might Help You More Than Tony, Simon & Louise

Things aren't always meant to go our way. That doesn't mean we can't break down every now and then. We're revisiting our past to get out of the rut!

Dear Zedites,

Every once in a while, the uncertainty of the future and the rigorous routine gets to you. You’re just down in the dumps and nobody can pull you back up—not friends, not your family or your spouse.

It’s not burn out, it’s a feeling of wanting to uncontrollably weep because things aren’t going your way. Everything you’re doing isn’t translating to the results you expected your actions would yield. And although James Clear, Simon Sinek, Robin Sharma, Tony Robbins, Louise Hay and Chris Gardner have been your guides on YouTube for a while, you could care less about ‘grinding no matter what’, ‘following the routine’, ‘trusting the process’, ‘taking massive, determined action’ and ‘mastering the art of loving yourself’.

We do not wish to discourage crying or experiencing dejection; indeed, it can be a cathartic and transformative experience. But after you’re done with your bawling session, look to the past. Rejoice in the beginning of your journey. The feeling of having come this far is a very unique kind of joy. And you won’t believe it till you try it!

In the spirit of the movie, ‘Inception’, we would like to share a story from our past about transcending time while gazing out at the ocean.

A Story From Our Past

The ocean has an uncustomary familiarity to it. Even with our inability to gauge anything beyond, it bestows upon us peace and harmony; except for when it’s furious. I’m not a sailor, nor do I live in Japan, so I presume myself safe, until the ocean decides otherwise one day.

On numerous occasions, I have found myself transcend into the past. More often than not, this transcendence has taken place when I’m staring at the vast expanse of the ocean. And although I believe, a harmless flashback is not all that bad, I refrain myself whenever I can.

That’s because I am divided unevenly between the present and the future, leaving not even some elbow room for the past. Is that bad? Maybe. But who is the judge of that? And to be honest, I have had my tiffs with the past. But that’s just me.

My memory is abysmal—it’s both deep and bad. It’s deep because I can recall feelings—how I felt at a certain point of time in my life. It’s bad because I cannot remember the events that led me to feel that way. And if you put two and two together, you’ll realise that that might be the worst possible combination because if you don’t remember what caused all the negative feelings at the time, how would you make sure they’re not repeated?

But that day was different. Standing by the shore, facing the ocean, taking in the striking seaweed stench, the transcendence hit and I was transported back to a time I had completely forgotten about.

I was 12-years-old and I could see myself surrounded by everyone I loved. The feeling was indescribable... I didn’t know I had this memory, I had never thought about it before. I breathed in and out and smiled... while passerby changed their routes because they assumed I was insane.

That moment was special because I don’t remember anything that happened before or after. My subconscious had decided to capture only that moment and I’m glad it did. I was least interested in what preceded or followed.

And just like that, I was teleported back to the present where I spent the rest of the day content.

The mind plays beautiful games, perhaps to fool the heart. A silly thought had been pestering me that day and I can only assume that was my mind’s way of showing me where I’d come from and that, at the end, it was all going to be okay.

My relationship with the past ripened, just a smidgen that day.

See ya,

Aamer