Two Day Magazine

There is a school of thought that life should be lived “in the moment.”

On-demand stuff — social media, non-stop news, texting and so many other things — have led many of us to stop thinking about the past. We’re too busy in the now with our apps and tweets and photo posts.

I don’t subscribe to the belief that life should be lived in the moment. I value life and cherish moments. And I look at those who do follow the “live in the moment” thought as selfish individuals who don’t appreciate anything life has to offer. People who often claim to follow this belief tend to be afraid to reflect on their past, and they seem to show little concern for their future, either.

The past, however, is very important. Our history got us to where we are today. What we’ve learned in life helped us craft our opinions, helped us find a job and helped us to find friends to associate with. Our past also helps us to not repeat something we might consider a mistake — maybe a bad habit, a drug addiction or a toxic former relationship.

I often think about how my upbringing got me to be as successful as I am today — with a fantastic job, strong worth ethic, pride in my community, volunteering, and the ability to love people.

Yet, some folks don’t seem to show much concern for how they got to where they are. Instead, they write off the past and look at today only. That’s when mistakes happen. That’s when trouble happens. That’s when we’re unhappy with who we’ve become.

I know. I’ve been there. There was a time when I thought every moment until that point in my life didn’t matter. It was, as they say, history.

But you can only live in the moment for so long until you feel empty and alone.

Thankfully, my “live in the moment” life didn’t last long (and happened in college). I matured, and realized how special life is and how important it is to reflect back from time to time as well as look forward.

Life is a series of calculated risks. It involves planning today for tomorrow. It can be as simple as planning tonight what you’ll eat tomorrow for lunch. Or, it might involve something more important, like planning for a new job.

But when you constantly live in the moment, you sort of just fly by the seat of your pants — never putting much thought into anything, and therefore, never receiving the most out of any situation.

Life takes a little planning to make it enjoyable, fun and rewarding. Sure, you can’t plan everything, and you’ve got to roll with the punches, adapting to any curve life brings; but the reward for a well thought out plan is much greater than no thought process at all.

My life is full of wonderful moments I keep adding to my past — Christmas memories with family and friends, exciting times in my job and volunteer efforts, and so much more.

I couldn’t imagine bottling those up and not thinking about them again. I always want to remember my grandmother, who died in 1996 when I was 13. The lessons she taught me about life are long lasting, and I probably didn’t realize it until much later.

Look at and accept your past. Love it. Think of the good times, the sad moments and the times you thought life was hell. Every single moment is important, and it’s a lesson for the future.

You can choose to live your life as if yesterday didn’t matter, or you can take yesterday, think about how you’ve changed, and apply that to the future.

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Can't get enough of Bobby Cherry? Tweet him your thoughts on this article @GoBobbo or check out his website: GoBobbo.com.

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