Someone said to me that “yesterday” is not important and what took place there is a part of history never to be repeated again. It is done and dusted and holding on to the pain and memories is just a waste of time and rehashing yesterday over and over again is a mental disaster and needs to be stopped.
I do not fully agree with him. I do agree that yesterday and what happened there is a part of history. It happened, whatever it was, but to recover from the trauma of yesterday, if it was bad, needs time, patience and picking over to gather the good things, sift over the not so important aspects and the last part, learning how not to repeat those mistakes again and to move on with life. It also means learning to let go might take time and it is different with every individual. Some people may be able to let go easily and move on and for others, it might take weeks, months or even years to let go of yesterday. There is no specified time limit, take as long as you need. Yesterday is a learning curve and if used wisely, it helps to make your todays and tomorrows better.
However, it is a big deal because we tend to base our future actions based on our past. Yesterday also helps to define you as a person and in order to create something new, you almost always rely on elements of the past to show and shape what you choose to do or stay away from to create that new reality.
I rely on yesterday to show me the path forward. A conundrum? Actually, I feel and know that yesterday matters. It helps to give voice to my experiences, memories and most importantly the lessons learned. It not only helps to influence who I am as a person today but it most definitely helps to guide my decisions for tomorrow. Yesterday wasn’t always good to me as it is for most of us, there was the good, the bad and the ugly and there are parts that I would definitely want to keep under lock and key and make sure it never sees the light of day again. However, all of it is needed to shape my future and to learn how not to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.
I am stronger today because of yesterday. There is a clearer picture of who I am, what I want out of life, who I want to be with and perhaps the most important lesson I have learned from yesterday is what I will stand for and what I won’t. I’ve garnered that strength and knowing from dabbling in my past and from salvaging the good bits. Yesterday is important, it teaches if you’re willing to listen and learn and it matters for a better tomorrow. However, as with everything else in life, give it the balance it deserves but don’t hang on to it as your life line or as if “yesterday” is the only thing that matters.
David Brier explains it this way.
Yesterday is an idea that too many use as a crutch.
Or worse, as an excuse.
Yesterday isn’t here. You can look in the mirror. You won’t see it.
You can grab yesterday and put it on a scale, and you’ll find it weighs nothing.
You grab an empty box, fill it with yesterday and give it to a friend and you’ll find when they open it, it’s empty.
Because yesterday is simply an idea.
Some even use yesterday as “the reason they are XYZ” today.
Yesterday isn’t that powerful that it determines who or what you are today.
YOU have that power.
Unless you give the reigns to an idea. An idea like yesterday matters.
I agree that it is an idea but it is so much more than that isn’t it? It gives shape to your life if used wisely and as a teacher it teaches how to better navigate your life and to make more informed decisions about the future. Therefore, yesterday matters and it is more than an idea in that sense.
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