We Might Be Through With the Past, but the Past Ain't Through With Us.

 I've been noticing a trend lately, and it's a trend of people being stuck in the past or stuck in the way things "used to be" and it's depressing. Or at least that is the way things were explained to me. When we are stuck in the past, we are depressed. When we are stuck in the future, we have anxiety. When we live in the present moment, we are at peace. What really make the difference is perspective. How we look back on the things that we have done and how we look forward to the things that we will do.
Living in Tulsa, I see it ALL THE TIME....just mention "The Zingo" or "Crystal's Pizza" or any of the other nostalgic things that are no longer around, while new restaurants struggle to find an audience and hold the same weight. We think about a more prosperous time when we were able to have no worries and loathe the times that we do have worries. And don't even get me started on people who want to move somewhere or moved from somewhere. I find myself doing it when speaking about Chicago....I loved living there and  I miss it. 
Nostalgia refers to those wistful, sentimental feelings that surface when you recall significant experiences, relationships, places, and other bits of the past. (source: Healthline) Where does nostalgia have a place in our daily life?
Helen Keller was quoted as saying, “When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.” As we look back, we can't let the act of looking back keep us from looking forward. 
As we look backward, it is good to reminisce about the things of the past. It's good to live as much as we can in the now. And realize that the future hasn't happened yet, and so we can plan for the best. And work toward a happy life in the future. 

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