Do you live in the past or the present?

One can never be truly happy if one has no past. One can never truly appreciate the present without knowing the past. The past has a lot to contribute to what we are today. As we live in the present we can't help to look back into the past. The past has guided us, informed us, taught us and made us today. It is good to look back to the past as we make improvements and adapt our present. But we shouldn't dwell solely in the past. To do so would be living in the past. And living in the past would prevent ourselves from enjoying the present, as you put it. Happiness is here. It is now or never. And that's a present. It is my present. I love to live in the present. Thanks for the topic Pose.

Ingrid Bergman - I know her name but I couldn't recall her movies nor her life story, sorry. I must be a case of bad memory. If I am, according to Ingrid's definition, then I must be happy. Still, I think we should read her lines in context with her being. She could have said that when she was old and in need of good health. She could have also been devastated by past episodes in her life. So she wanted to delete the ugly ones. Happiness is a state of mind. You see the goodness around you, you will be happy!

The past is just that the past. It cannot be changed no matter how often you revisit it. I live in the present, I do remember the past and look forward toward the future, but my main focus is the present. NOW

“Happiness is good health and a bad memory”. I agree in part of the sense of this sentence and I am going to explain it why. I think that people usually live in the past, specially thinking about the things that could happend but unfortunetly, they did not pass or even worst, people sometimes keep on thinking about an episode of their lives, when someone has hurt them and of course, because of that bad memory, they can not be easily happy. In that sense I would agree with Ingrid Bergman when she says that it’s good for your happiness to have a bad memory. However, the things that happened to you in the past, they are not all bad things and they can not be an obstacle to your happiness. I prefer to remember the good things about my childhood, my school, my family, the good experiences I had to pass through and also I try to remember that even those bad things that has happened to my life, they have made me stronger and thanks God I’m a happy man. I feel lucky and I constantly thanks God for the things he has put in my life. If you see the bad things that you have lived as “experience” and “knowledge” they must not be bad for you. So I would rewrite the advice in this way: “Happiness is Good health, bad memory to the things that make you feel pain and good one for the things that make you proud of being what you are; friends, family, GOD, and experiences”. Thanks for asking us this question. Have a nice day. ALVARO

For me I think it is a little of both. I say this because I not only remember "UNHAPPY" moments in my life but the "HAPPY","GOOD" times as well. Although the unhappy times were unpleasant they stll have value. Their value is the lessons I learned from them. I therefore have tried not to repeat the stuations that caused the unpleasantness. As for the happy moments, it goes without saying I do my utmost to remember them and really try to repeat whatever behavior caused them. I really do not appreciate people who dwell on the negative all the time. They not only dwell on it they can't see what actions "THEY" did to cause the un-happiness. They always want to blame someone or something else instead of taking a hard look at themelves and what they did to contribute to the situation. On the other hand I really try to "ALWAYS" remember "HAPPY" moments and try to repeat whatever lead to them. Am I on the right track?

I agree we must seize the moment and like my friend says stay in the joy....

I agree with her totally because if we have good health life can be wonderful ,and also if we forget about all the bad things that people have done to us is better for our soul.

"There is nothing which as yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern." `~ Samuel Johnson ~ Perhaps happiness is a State of Mind, there with you, on your Journey, superseding Sadness and Morosity. Happiness cannot to be grabbed at! Its not a fleeting feeling, but rather a destination to be arrived at, something dependable, when the weather is decrepit. Those who are truly Happy, make happiness the main course in their daily diet, and are always convivial, no matter what the cards turn up!

I dont really agree that much. I'm kind of in a different situation, where I want to live in the future and just breeze through the present. I'm currently passing through a difficult situation in my life, which is why I want it to simply...pass away, until it is all finished and the good things will start coming. It is only when these good things come, that I want to live my current life in the present, and just like you said "in this moment, we must seize it". I want to enjoy the good times, and fly through the bad/depressing/boring times. I hope I made sense. Please do ask me if you are not sure about something that I mgiht have said.

well,i don't actually agree totally with what ingrid said..i do think of my past a lot...sometimes when i'm bored,all the memory came flashing through my mind..i do like my past because mostly happiness revolve around it..of course for the past two years it's really make me feel annoyed and stressful because getting into boarding school.when we think of our past either it;s happy or otherway,we can lead ourselves to be better in the present and future..as a matured person,we certainly wouldn't want to repeat any stupid mistake in the past..i do have my short and long term goal..i really want to achieve everything i want in an easy or hard way..to me..we do the best in present and better in the future..we are not sure what going to happen soon but we can drive our attitude and goal to a good way..and by that we can achieve a great future...

I think there is no future without the past. Everything we do now or plan to do in the future is based on our learning and experienceses we got from the past life. fisafat

I live in present ,planning for my future taking lessons from my past.

Whether you're happy or sad in the present, it is still where you should live and where you should be focusing on. Past is already history and you could no longer turn back time. What you can do with your past is to learn with it. Cherish the good memories, and forget about the bad ones. Live with the present because it's where are are.

I don't like in being in the past. It only gives me bad memory if its a good one. Everytime I think of the past which is a good memory, I usually cried. Because things cant be bring back on what was passed. I like to live to what is now and exicited for the future. I just make what it is for today and prepare for what it is tomorrow. That' life.

I would like to believe that I am truly living in the present. Looking to the future can be uplifting and rewarding. We all have moments from the past that have brought us great joy and happiness. It is so easy to slip back to these times and hide away. There is no time like the present. Don't let it get away from you.