Weekly Prompt #20: Do you live more in the past or future?
Welcome everyone, I hope you are all being easy on yourself this week.
A couple of weeks ago we discussed: Visualize to Actualize exercise to deal with stress Thank you to all who participated and tried. I appreciate you all. I hope you all find it helpful. If you didn't try or experienced any challenges while trying, please share them here and I look forward to reading and discussing them with you.
This week's prompt: Do you live more in the past or future?
This week I want us to reflect and explore this topic that can help us understand and explore if we live more in the past or future. Please take a moment to reflect and share with us. Let's get started and all thoughts are welcomed!
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@ASilentObserver
i loved this prompt!
My answer: I guess past. I don’t forget things easily maybe that’s the reason.
@Peacefulflight I am glad you liked it. :) It sounds like remembering things from the past easily on your mind. What kind of things you tend to recall?
@ASilentObserver
Ironically, those are the things I wish I didn’t remember or recall xD. In my attempt to not remember them, I’d maybe not talk about them. 🙈
@Peacefulflight that's alright Peace. Take your time and when you feel to, do share. We are all here with you to listen to and to support.
@ASilentObserver Hello everyone,
I hope you're all doing well. This week's prompt got me thinking about how we navigate time in our minds. Do we tend to dwell on the past, or do we find ourselves often daydreaming about the future?
For me, it's a bit of both. Reflecting on the past can bring valuable lessons and nostalgic moments, but living too much in the past might hinder our ability to fully embrace the present. On the other hand, thinking about the future is natural and often exciting, but dwelling too much on what's to come might cause unnecessary anxiety.
So, I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this. Do you find yourself living more in the past or the future? How does this impact your daily life, and are there any strategies you use to stay present in the moment?
Looking forward to hearing your perspectives!
@glisteningLight2506 Thank you for sharing your thoughts on navigating time in our minds. I agree that reflecting on both the past and future each have their benefits as well as drawbacks when taken to an extreme. Your insight into this prompt has given us a new perspective to consider. How do you find a balance that allows you to appreciate past lessons and future hopes while fully embracing each present moment?
Good Morning-
I have lived almost 40 years in the past, stuck in a world that I wanted to give honor to. My mom passed away when I was 7 years old and from that point on my world was turned upside down and inside out. I have wanted to hold onto things that provided comfort to me and to remember my mom when no one else does. However being stuck in the past some 40 years later has been a real determent to me I believe. I want to live in the now as the future only makes me anxious.
I want to appreciate each phase and give value to each as it is appropriate 🙂. Learning how to do thus now. It is never to late and you are never too old to keep learning ❤️
@straightforwardSkies7721 Thank you for sharing your story with me. It sounds like losing your mother at a young age left a deep impact, and understandably so. Holding onto memories and traditions from the past has provided comfort during difficult times. You are determined to live fully in the now. What aspects of each present moment do you find most meaningful to appreciate?
Whenever we think of our past we get wither depressed from the mistakes we have made or nostalgic of the times we wish we could still have. When we think of the future we can feel anxious of what could happen or excited about what CAN give us that very nostaglia-- reliving some good memories. It is important to stay in the present most of the time. The human brain tends to err on one side of the present rather than in it. It can be difficult, but training yourself to bring your attention back to the present with such things as observing your breathing, your surroundings, feeling your own weight in a chair or feet on the ground l, etc, we can give us that sense that things are okay and things will be okay. I tend to balance my time in the past and future and make sure I am spending more time focused on the present (which is all so challenging with ADHD). This can be a very powerful skill for when you are in a stressful situation:
I use the STOP skill which is to literally stop what you were intending on doing, take a step back, observe your surroundings and then, proceed mindfully. Put much conscious thought into your next decision. It helps with anxiety, depression, anger, panic attacks, the list can go on.
To call me to a conclusion, I do tend to have more anxiety about the future than other occurrences and it is with this internal stressor that I struggle. However, I have tested some skills, developed my own and integrated them within my routine so that these skills will become effective at keeping stressors at bay. Thank you for the opportunity to answer this question as it really helped me be accountable of my own mental health!
@Lemnop2023 Thank you for sharing about your experiences managing thoughts of the past, future, and present. It sounds like you have found some helpful skills for staying grounded, such as mindful breathing and stopping to observe your surroundings. I am glad to hear you are taking good care of your mental health by developing and practicing strategies that work for you. What aspects of focusing on the present help you feel most at ease?
