Hindsight, is it too little too late?
Steve Jobs said in 2005 at a Stanford
graduation ceremony “Again, you can’t
connect the dots going forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So
you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect to your future.”
He was a very insightful man who understood
the world we lived in at a deeper level then most that often try to connect the
dots going forward and in doing so; ignore the lessons of the past. In ignoring the past, I submit we become
un-centred in our thoughts, decisions and actions leaving us prone to intuitive
bias, assumptive errors and wild card comparisons that blind us to how good
things could be versus how they look! If we had only connected the dots in
hindsight, then the future would be visible through a much clearer lens. With this understanding of where have come
from kept in perspective, mapping out a successful future becomes an achievable
goal indeed! The question is; what part does hindsight play in this venture?
Hindsight can be a valuable asset as much
as a dreaded liability, which is why we need to use it discerningly. If we look
too deeply into the past, we can become trapped in the emotion of the day,
which clouds our judgement and our ability to accurately connect the dots for a
brighter future! To quote Polonius from Hamlet, “To thine own self be true”. If we don’t deceive ourselves as to our
actual place in the world, where we have come from and be at peace where we
want to go, we can bring the best of us into the future whilst accepting the
rest and stowing it away in its rightful place, which is in our past!
In order to do this and properly place
hindsight in its rightful context, I submit the following is necessary to
increase chances of a successful outcome when looking into our past in order to
join meaningful dots together so we can map out a successful future….
Be
at peace – As my dear old mother would say “draw
from the past, don’t let the past draw from you!” Her incredible insights have
shown that if we truly come to terms with who we are and are at peace with it,
then we can see a future with the benefit and not the baggage of the past. Such
a future is what belongs to us rather then what others expect of us!
Know
thine self - Not knowing who we truly are and what
we are capable of as human beings is a common malady that most are not even
aware of. True self-reflection requires meditative commitment and digging
deeper into yourself for answers. It is a must if you are to gain a deeper
understanding of yourself and the world around you. Techniques like mindfulness
are aids to a deeply relaxed state of being that can lead to deep high
functioning thought on self reflection and strategizing for the future.
Accept
the negatives - Nobody is free from being
victimised, being wronged and being targeted unfairly in this world! It’s a
fact of life and often leaves real scars seen and unseen on us all, which is
why we should not ignore them! If the offending party are brought to justice
(or not) by society’s rules and limitations, the personal hurt will still
remain. We need to accept our being in the world and the injury caused on us so
we can heal and move on. The scars that remain should be celebrated within our
own hearts and minds as part of “who we are” as they become the toughest part
of our psyche that we can use for good into the future. Another favourite
saying of mine comes into mind on accepting the negatives “what doesn’t kill
you makes you stronger!” By accepting the negatives, we become free of the dead
weight that will pull our future down and thus give rise to a brighter day
going forward!
“Connect
the dots” to paint a picture – In reaching a
balanced and powerful state of being, perceptual paths open up to us, which re-orientates
our perception of the past to a new state. With this in mind, looking into the
future allows us to see what’s right for us right now and more discerningly
chose a path into the future that is aided by hindsight, not hindered by it.
Another old saying that is close to my
heart is “never make a permanent decision based on a temporary emotion”, which
is why after my redundancy in 2012, I formulated the above process to come to
grips with my past, my present and map a better future that is good for me! My experience led me to testing and
research on where my passion lies, which is why I decided to switch from
Finance to Software and despite the risks, set backs and challenges, I have not
regretted a single minute of it! The reason why it is possible is because this
time, its something I am doing with the past behind me, the present with me and
the future ahead of me, which allows me to bring my mind, my passion and my
very being on the journey into a space where I belong!
I don’t know if I will be successful
despite early successes in academia and aptitude. However, fuelled with passion
and ability along with a deeper sense of the world, my chances of success can
only very good indeed! If we are to be happy in this world, shouldn’t we start
from within and share it with the world so the world can share its happiness
with us? I think so, what do you think? Leave your opinions on your life skills
experience… Share some happiness with the world today!!...
Sources/Credits:
Pics;
Credits:
Steve Jobs RIP from this 2005 speech to
Standard Graduates - http://genius.com/1987706/Steve-jobs-commencement-address-at-stanford-university-2005/Again-you-cant-connect-the-dots-looking-forward-you-can-only-connect-them-looking-backwards
Contribution of photo (British Post Box on
streak street) on unsplash.com by Luis Llerena
Contribution of photo (Woman on ledge) on
unsplash.com by Julius
Caesar
No comments:
Post a Comment