One of my observations from being on Facebook is that there are a fair number of people who are trying to live in the past. They regularly post videos from YouTube featuring musical groups and recording artists from “their era” and they talk about going to dances featuring bands and music from the “good old days.” In addition, these same people are the ones who do the most whining and complaining about what’s happening in their lives and they seem very averse to change. I must admit that reflecting on the past is fun but trying to live there can be depressing because we can’t—the past is gone. The healthy alternative is to try to enjoy every moment of the present because that’s all there is. As the ancient Chinese philosopher Lau Tzu put it: “If you are depressed, you live in the past…If you are anxious, you live in the future…But, if you are at peace, you live in the present.” Living in the present starts with recognizing that the “good old days” are now.
Facebook doesn’t work for me. I have my own distribution lists for people I consider important including you…
This really is quite timely for me. For me, remembering the good old days is remembering those people who have passed on. The closer it gets to Mother’s Day, the more I remember that my mom and my sister (only sibling) are gone. No one to celebrate. I am working on living in the present and finding other ways to spend this day. Some years it works and some it doesn’t. This year, my niece is a mom, so I will celebrate her!