The past isn’t clearer; it’s just known.
How much time could I have saved if I’d only figured this out before!
Instead, I’ve spent years thinking about the past, my own, others’ and society’s, as I shared with you earlier in Blueprints.
My tendency to focus on the past stemmed from a belief that I could obtain clarity by casting back to an earlier time. The assessment tool StrengthsFinder sharpened this perspective by explaining, “people with the Strength of Context look back in time to understand the present.” 1
The revelation that the past isn’t clearer; it’s just known has made me question this preoccupation of mine. If you can relate to the idea of using time in this way, read on.
Perceptions of Time
As a coach, I see people fall into two camps in terms of how they view time, past- or future-oriented. Neither stance is preferable (or worse) than the other.
Past-oriented people like me can find themselves stuck in rumination, endlessly questioning how they could have changed an outcome that has already happened and, as such, cannot be changed.
Future-oriented people can become anxious as they anticipate outcomes that have not and may not happen in an effort to control or shape the outcome.
I’ve already shared in previous editions of Life fully loved the most effective solution to handling life’s challenges, which is to get present. When you live in the now, you feel secure, without anxiety, and in complete choice.
So why is it so hard? If the answer to your problems is so simple, why don’t you choose to live in the present, now and always?
The Desire for Clarity
You want to feel clear-headed, laser-focused, and strong. Clarity gives you these gifts.
For me, studying history in school and studying people as an adult helped me gain clarity. I learned through hearing other people’s stories about what worked and what didn’t. I observed how history repeated itself, to wit: the rise and fall of autocracy.
It became clear that these patterns of personal and societal conduct persisted until such time as lessons were absorbed, resulting in changed behaviours. That was the hook tugging me to the past. If only I understood what happened in the past, I could prevent it from happening to me in the present.
Future thinkers do the same thing, except from a different angle. By anticipating future outcomes, they hope to gain clarity and prevent the least desirable outcomes.
The false assumption lies in thinking prevention equals certainty when, in fact, it doesn’t. Clarity stems from insight. I believe you can receive insight by looking forwards and backwards, however, don’t discount the negative side effects that come with it like stress, anxiety, and even hopelessness.
Knowledge vs. Wisdom
From Strength to Strength talks about the shift you must make from the crystallized intelligence curve (knowledge) to the fluid intelligence curve (wisdom). Your first half of life is concerned with the acquisition of information whereas the second concerns itself with its integration.
The past isn’t clearer; it’s just known.
I realized studying the past gave me knowledge that I inadvertently attributed to wisdom. Recognizing patterns in thoughts and behaviours was the real reward of learning history. And pattern recognition, my friend, stems from the right brain, the seat of wisdom.
The Present
Is it a coincidence that gift and present are synonyms? The gift of clarity, which is what many gain from coaching, comes from being present. Knowledge brings clarity; insight brings wisdom.
As a little bird (ahem, Brene Brown) once said, Clear is kind.
Now that’s a clear path forward.