Poll of the Day > Do you think it's healthy to think about the past all the time?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I must have these answers.
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The past is in the past bro,
Let it go.
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Probably not.

wolfy42 posted...

The past is in the past bro,
Let it go.

*cue song*
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Every day is a new chance to change our lives!
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I don't know about health but if you need answers, being reflective and recognizing mistakes is a start.
Then you can either choose to keep making your mistakes more plausible and easier or find a different way and move on.
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It's healthy to think about it some of the time, especially when you are learning from mistakes. However, it's not healthy to think about it all the time.
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fishy071 posted...

It's healthy to think about it some of the time, especially when you are learning from mistakes. However, it's not healthy to think about it all the time.

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Yeah not all the time. Use it to help you move forward but thats it.

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Do you leave wet clothes and towels on the floor?
If someone hasn't directly told you this is a bad thing either directly or you haven't yourself taken some cue by some indirect sign that wet duff mildews and stinks, then take this simple parable and shove it.
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Healthy, no. Natural, yes.
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No, you can't change what's already been written so try to focus on the here and now and the future. I admit that it's hard not to at times, but that's natural.
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According to the Buddha, focusing on the past and/or future only creates suffering. We can't change the past so lamenting over it is pointless, and we can't control the future so there's no point obsessing when it may go differently than we want. All we ever have is right now, focus on that, be in the moment.
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It's not healthy to do anything all the time.
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Reflecting is healthy. Obsessing is unhealthy.
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But everything you experience is in the past. Even you reading these words is already something that happened in the past. And these words, too.
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Firewerx posted...

But everything you experience is in the past. Even you reading these words is already something that happened in the past. And these words, too.

I find your ideas intriguing and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
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EclairReturns posted...

I must have these answers.

Memories are fine however been constantly stuck in the past is never good and dwelling on the past is even worse. I mean you shouldn't dwell on the past as that's been and gone, you shouldn't dwell on what's to come as tomorrow never comes. All you can do is think for today and do things for today.
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No. It keeps you from planning for the future or enjoying the present.
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If you never think about it not only can you possibly never grow as a person (get stuck making same mistakes over and over), you basically don't get to experience memories. Which... like... Why not?

Like sometimes you have to remember good times with loved ones, because there won't be any more with that person. I can't imagine being told 'no, you have to forget that person they're in the past'. No thank you.

But don't forget about the present either?

It depends on a lot of factors?

gguirao posted...

No. It keeps you from planning for the future or enjoying the present.

I can't really plan half the time because I don't have the ability to control too many factors, and I don't enjoy the present half the time remembering the past or not. So from where I'm sitting, for me personally, this doesn't add up.