How is your past affecting your present?

We all have past experiences, which in one way or another help in shaping our present, though not many people are aware of the connection. Our past influences our lives in various ways in our day-to-day activities and also affects our future. The question is how is your past shaping your life? A cross section of people shared their views on the issue.
 Nafisa Ahmed, a 32-year-old lawyer and mother of two, believes that one should not let his past affect his present life. She says once a person moves on with his life, he should not look because looking back in most cases becomes destructive and can kill one’s morale.
“Honestly, I feel the moment you’ve gone past something, move forward and never look back as this is the best way to keep you moving forward and to greater achievements. I have a friend who was deeply in love with a guy she dated right from their secondary school days. After several years of courtship, things went out of hand and they broke up and since then she has been devastated. Five years later, she is still nursing the wounds left in her heart and has failed to move on. Each time a suitor comes and she is willing to give him a chance, she suddenly revisits her past and she frowns upon the guy and he would be left with no choice but to go. I have told her severally that just because the guy she trusted with all her heart broke it doesn’t mean she wouldn’t find the right person,” she stated.
Ahmed added that life is too short to keep going back to your past: “I am still trying to persuade my friend to completely abandon her past life, try someone new and who knows she might just be close to her future husband. I really want her to settle down and have her own family, she isn’t getting any younger and time waits for no one.”
Isa Ishaya who is in his late 40s, notes that it is only natural for one to let his past play a vital role in his present life. It is good to ponder on the things that have shaped your life along the way in order to appreciate your present life: “A perfect example is myself; I thank God for my life because I have made it big in life and I am content the way I am. I believe I wouldn’t have made it without my past encounter with different people and jobs I found myself doing. I lost my mother when I was still a child, so I grew up with my step-mother and truth be told, she is the most wicked person on earth. Basically, I had a sad childhood, I was almost starved to death, and most of my body parts were adorned with scars from the beatings I received every day of my life. To cut the story short, my uncle saw me through my education up to university level. I owe him everything because I am who I am today because of him. Whenever I see someone in dire need of assistance, I always recall my past and it motivates me to do good. I think your past could have a great impact on your present and it makes one a better person in general.”
Twenty-four-year-old Safiya Ibrahim says our past affects our present directly or indirectly, stressing that our personality is shaped by the past events we have been through. Our past affects will also affect our future as long as we keep giving it undue attention: “For me, there is absolutely no right or wrong with this. There are instances where it is important for one to consider his or her past in making decisions, likewise there are times when a person shouldn’t even take a look back because doing that will do more harm than good. I think every individual has what works for him or her best. Some people would prefer having their past play a role in their present life while some would rather choose to take their past lives completely out of the picture. We all have our individual differences, what works for me might not work for someone else.”
Yusuf Samson, a security man, says past life shouldn’t play a role in a person’s present life: “I believe that is the main reason why so many people fail to move forward in life and bringing the past to your present life creates a barrier to one’s success. For instance, I know of a girl who lived a promiscuous life but later on she turned a new leaf and everyone was happy for her. However, she was still in touch with her promiscuous friends and they succeeded in persuading her to return to her former life. Unfortunately, she went back to her past life ignoring her present life and the positive changes she brought to herself. In most cases, a person’s happiness doesn’t depend on the past life but the present and future must be put into consideration.”