The Pre-Sent

#215

Friend,

Your present is your pre-sent.

I love this quote from Adam Young in his book Making Sense of Your Story: “When a behavior in the present doesn’t make sense, it is usually because we don’t understand how the behavior is rooted in the past.”

Your past will find its way to the present. You can’t outrun it, but you can outgrow it. The story of your future depends on whether you are willing to engage your past hurts, harms, and habits in the present, so you can send goodness to the future, not just pain; so you can send hope into the future, not just futility; so you can send health into the future, not just misery.

I’ve seen this image as it relates to grief, and I find it to be true. (Credit to counselor Lois Tonkin)

We like to think that “time heals all wounds,” but I’ve met some very bitter people who are proof that that is not true. The truth is that time allows all wounds to be healed if you are willing to put in the work and grow.

Why don’t you?

Because growing hurts. It’s hard. It’s unpleasant, and it’s easier to be numb than to be healed.

Your sorrows won’t disappear. Your sorrows will re-appear as your past is pre-sent into the future.

Love,

Aaron