What's Past is Prologue

The past does not determine one’s future, yet it can be a profoundly foundational starting point. There are those who would argue in opposition, and rightly so. The past, when one considers it, is no longer. All one truly has is the moment they are in now.

Although this is intellectually known, as many individuals have experienced, the past sometimes haunts, resurfaces, or twinges into the present. When you try to figuratively shake it, push it away, or hide it, there it comes again.

When I think about how this occurs within the body, I think about how a touch, a sudden movement, or being in a certain place can suddenly bring you back. It’s instantaneous.

It’s the body remembering.

When confronted with these experiences of the past through the body, what can one do to lessen their effect?

Pause. Breathe. Acknowledge the sensation, memory, or emotion. Honor it first—it is a part of one’s history. Then refocus on what can be done now.

Kinesthetically, one can create movement that is contrary or neutral to what pulled them back. Perhaps shift environments to feel a difference in the physical experience, or find a form of touch that brings forth a new sensation.

The point is not to ignore the past, but to move from it into growth, challenge, and compassion for oneself.

Perhaps the past is not a script to follow, but a prologue, one that introduces us to who we’ve been without deciding who we become.