Past, Present, Future

In Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol”, Ebeneezer Scrooge is visited by three spirits.  He is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Future.  In the same way we all exist in three forms at any given moment.  There is the me that WAS, the me that IS and the me that WILL BE.  

The me that WAS may seem like a dead, static and unchanging entity but that is not an entirely true perception.  As time moves forward the lenses through which we view our past selves are constantly changing.  What were once intense emotions become much more muted feelings.  Seemingly unconnected events become clearer as interconnected, interwoven webs.  Actions by others (and ourselves) that we once could not fathom, much less understand, become clearer as we can see the circumstances surrounding them.  Time and distance provide a clarity that proximity clouds.

The me that IS is the only person that I have control over.  While I can’t always control the circumstances that surround me, I do always have control over how I choose to react to them.  The me that IS can also effect the me that WAS.  I can’t change actions that I have taken or events that occurred, but I can choose how I view those occurrences.  I can choose to view them as things that happened to me or as things that happened because of me.  I can choose to take responsibility or I can choose to point a finger of blame and excuse.  It is the choice that the me that IS makes that determines the perception.  The me that IS also influences the me that WILL BE.  

Every choice that I make today affects the me that WILL BE.  I can’t always see how the influence will play out, I can only make the best choices that I can with the information that I have.  It can be a paralyzing thought to ponder how much we don’t have control over in our lives.  On the other side of the coin, it is cowardly to not take responsibility for the person that we will be in the future.  The best we can do is to plan for the future that we hope to see while remaining flexible to the ebb and flow of life.  

These three entities, the me that WAS, the me that IS and the me that WILL BE combine to create this person known as Dallas.  The same applies to you.  Be the best trio that you can be.  It’s the least that any of us can do for all of us.