We are not our past stories. As I sat with an old friend, who I have not seen for at least 3-4 years, the topic of our identification with our past came up. He had just gone throw a couple of bad years of just hell. From being lost in -20 weather in the out-of-bounds section of a ski resort near Trail, BC to being homeless for a short period. He asked me to explain what I meant by we are not our story. I elaborated that our past is just what we went through. Our authentic self is always in the present. That is why wherever we go, there we are. Our past is what we experienced as we go about our unique journey in life. At the current moment, in other words, the now; means that the past is just a group of thoughts. I shared my presentation with the grade 12 psychology class on “The illusion of choice” and how it is all about making conscious choices. I also shared with him that the greatest freedom we have is the freedom to choose. However, most of our choices in life have been influenced by our history; our beliefs, agreements, assumptions, and fears. At this point, he looked at me said, “I think I get it.” He said that even though he thought he was choosing his life, in reality, he was living according to his past programming. I added, that being aware means understanding that the past doesn’t define you and that your potential is dictated by what you do in the present moment that will affect your experience tomorrow. He smiled and told me that he is currently finishing up his high school requirements then aspires to go to a local community college to get a counseling diploma to give back to those that need it. He said to me that, I had always been an inspiration to him and that after speaking with me today that he felt even more encouraged that he was on the right track. Man, that felt cool! It’s moments like this that fire me up and encourage me to keep doing what I do.
