"The present is the past rolled out for understanding,
and the future rolled up for action."

– Adapted from Will Durant

What I like about this thought from Will Durant is that he seems to be looking at the perspective of time in a way that can serve us if we are indeed wanting to become more purposeful and successful in our endeavors. This is in contrast to how many people look at this continuum of past, present, and future. For example, many tend to see the past as a reservoir of regret where one goes to ascribe blame or guilt for some past word or deed. They tend to speak a lot in past tense, and seem to believe that somehow this constant looking back will protect them in some way from some similar event occurring in the future. Of course, as we know, any image we hold in our mind has a corresponding chemical effect on our body, and thus this tendency to see the past as "the problem" ironically only has us bringing it into the present, and coloring our experience with the very emotion that we are seeking to avoid. Plus, when we spend our lives constantly looking back, we are often not looking where we are going, and therefore are likely to stumble along the path of life, oblivious to why the journey seems so problematic.

By the same token, many people tend to look at the future with this same trepidation, and use their creative powers to imagine all sorts of scenarios where something bad is happening, ostensibly with the goal of prevention. However, just as holding negative images of the past can create a problematic present, so can becoming overly concerned about what has yet to happen. Again, the result is a creation of a negative image which changes the chemical makeup of our body, engages the part of our brain that is responsible for fight-or-flight, and colors our experience of life with fear, worry, anxiety, and stress.

Of course, this view of the future doesn't have to be negative for it to be problematic. We all know people who tend to spend their present moments looking forward to the day when some person or event will transform their lives into the experience for which they have been waiting or dreaming. Unfortunately, thoughts such as, "When I get the right car, job, mate, house, lotto numbers, etc., THEN I will be happy" has those individuals looking so far down the road that they too are likely to trip over what is directly in their path, and thus find themselves stumbling along and wondering, "WHEN IS SOMEONE GOING TO FIX THIS ROAD?!?!"

That's the bad news. The good news is that this week's quote suggests another way of looking at our experience of past, present, and future so that we can learn from the past, and use that learning to inform our choices in the present and the future. Of course, the aspect of Mr. Durant's quote that I find particularly appealing is that his focus is really on the present. As you know, if you have been following my Quotes and Comments for any length of time, I have a particular fondness for the belief that the present is the only time there is, and thus is also the most effective place from which to act.

Therefore, I love the fact that the quote frames our understanding of, and ability to make use of, the past and future in terms of the present. For example, Mr. Durant describes the present as "the past unrolled for understanding." Wouldn't we be well served if we truly were to look at the past in this way, i.e., where our highest purpose was truly understanding? Given that hindsight is indeed 20/20, we could then look back at what happened with the goal of finding good information, or true understanding about what has transpired, and then apply this information to our choices in the present. Contrast this to the experience of running some past event over and over in our mind and looking for fault, guilt, and/or who's to blame.

By the same token, wouldn't it be wonderful if we were to become skilled at seeing the present as "the future rolled up for action?" That is, rather than waiting to be rescued, or worrying about what to do (which, of course, only paralyzes us or at best has us making choices based upon worry and fear), we would see the present and future in terms of opportunity. Further, these opportunities could be seen not just as "available," but "rolled up for action," which implies a springboard or movement into action with a tremendous amount of energy and momentum.

Bottom line, if we want to become more influential in our lives (and even the lives of others), we must adopt a perspective on time that serves this purpose. I suggest that seeing the present as "the past rolled out for understanding, and the future rolled up for action" will indeed help us make use of this gift. This way, rather than stumbling along the road of life constantly looking backwards and forwards, we are instead able to take the next step in both understanding and enthusiasm. . . like a long distance runner whose goal is to enjoy the journey, we are able to appreciate where we have been and have a vision of where we are going, while at the same time being very aware of what is directly in our path.

Take care and God bless, Dr. Bill