You create history
We always think of history as something in the past. A subject taught at school, a period to reminisce over, at best the past to learn lessons from. How often do we stop and realise that we, us, each of us, are creating history each and every day?
history will judge us in the future
do i care that history will judge us?
“And what has this got to do with me?” I can hear you ask. Well everything. I wrote some time back about thinking what your legacy would be and this is a fundamental question we should be asking ourselves on a daily basis. It may be trying to save the planet, it might be giving your children a better life or it might just be something small such as making yours or someone else’s life a little more tolerable. Whatever it is, having it in the forefront of all that you say, do and think should lead you down the right path.
Before everything you do you should ask:
1) Why am I doing this?
2) To what purpose/end?
3) Who will benefit apart from myself?
4) Is this going to harm, hurt or damage anyone or other thing?
If any of the answers to these turn out to be vague or indicate a negative outcome then stop and don’t do it.
This again ties in to the deep, primordial human need for purpose. Without that purpose and wanting to leave something meaningful behind us then really what is the point of us?
Whether we do nothing or something, history will judge us.
What do you want to be known for?
Forget the peripheral, vacuous, fleeting trinkets and baubles we drape ourselves in and gather around ourselves. You can’t take it with you and, when left abandoned, nature gradually breaks and disintegrates them away.
I would also ignore most of the ‘serious matters’ that the state, news and politicians swamp us with. Serious to whom? We are intelligent beings and should make up our own mind as to how seriously something should be taken. Again, from point 4 above we should be asking ourselves; ‘who will die or be injured if nothing is done’ before deciding on what is serious to us.
I am not suggesting that we become completely un-selfish, that is not realistic and selfishness every now and then is necessary provided it is the exception not the rule. I am simply suggesting we are less selfish.
The future is an unknown but will be informed by history. We need to start looking at the whole scheme of things, working out what really matters and consigning the rest as white noise that distracts our attention from the priorities.
We need to lift our heads and peer beyond. Decide what future we want to create, one that we are comfortable knowing that history will judge us by.