00:00:00 - 00:00:40
Gino Wickman
Hello and welcome back. This episode I call "The Past, the Present, and the Future." So I'm going to start this episode with a question, and the question is: how much time do you spend in the past, in the present, and in the future? I'd almost love to create a visual in your mind as I take you through this episode and this experience. Simply think about the past, the present, and the future and see those as almost like blocks of time when you think about 100 percent of your time.
00:00:41 - 00:02:02
Gino Wickman
This topic has been coming up for me a lot in the last 12 months, but in a really big way in the last one or two months. There have probably been 50 data points, but there are three really big ones that have occurred in the last month that brought this to the surface and made it worthy of a podcast topic.
The first data point was becoming aware of a variation of quotes and statements about the past, the present, and the future. The first is from Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher. His quote is: "If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present."
The second one is a shortened version of that idea: "Depression lives in the past, and anxiety lives in the future." That was the first big data point that brought this to a head.
00:02:03 - 00:03:16
Gino Wickman
The second was realizing how much time, when I look back on my life, I spent thinking about the future. I had a profound experience in meditation, a deep contemplative place, where I tried to think about the future and realized how much time I had spent worrying about it.
I thought about loved ones, money, losing people, bad things happening. What if the plane doesn't take off? What if the deal doesn't happen? What if they leave me? What if something gets taken away from me? What if my car breaks down on the way to an important appointment or I get in an accident? What if the session or the talk goes bad? Will they show up? What if I screw up?
I could keep going, but I think you get it. It was an incredible aha moment realizing how much time I spent thinking about the future.
00:03:17 - 00:04:07
Gino Wickman
The third data point was a conversation with a dear, wise friend. I was sharing this aha with him and explaining how I felt like I needed to stop and spend all my time being here now, in the present.
He responded with something powerful. I can't remember the exact words, but the point was something like, "You can't always be here now," or "Being here now is not the way."
However he said it, it created another aha moment. We had a great conversation because the point made so much sense. I had simply let the pendulum swing too far the other way with this idea.
00:04:07 - 00:05:00
Gino Wickman
The point he made was that it is about your experience. How are you experiencing it when you're in the future? Is it a good experience or a bad one? When you're in the past, is it a good experience or a bad one?
This is what we're going to drill down on because it was incredibly helpful and insightful.
In preparation for this episode, I was thinking about the book Shine. Hopefully you've all read it. If not, I urge you to. In that book we talk about the past, the present, and the future.
00:05:00 - 00:06:22
Gino Wickman
From a past standpoint, we talk about things like shedding your shit, looking back at past traumas and past experiences and clearing those.
From the present standpoint, we talk about stillness, meditation, contemplation, journaling, prayer, being aware, being present and conscious, and taking time off to just be.
From a future standpoint, we talk about 10 Year Thinking, creating a 10 Year Vision, preparing every night, and thinking about what impact you want to make on the world.
So again: past, present, future. All in Shine.
With this, at least for me, it can start to twist a person into trying to understand what the right balance is. What is the right mix?
There are so many teachings out there. I'm reminded of conversations in our mastermind about presence and awareness, being here now, and even getting to a place where there is no time.
But then the question arises: can't you think about the future? Aren't you supposed to plan?
It leads to great conversation. What is healthy and what is unhealthy? How much time should be spent in each?
Because I don't know about you, but depression and anxiety are not something I want.
00:06:23 - 00:07:04
Gino Wickman
Back to my friend Dennis and his statement that it is about the experience.
He asked me, "Are you having a good experience when you're in the future or the past? Or are you having a bad experience? Is it healthy or unhealthy? Is it energizing or energy draining?"
So I want to walk you through those three buckets: past, present, future.
Let's start with the past.
00:07:04 - 00:07:41
Gino Wickman
Positive past experiences are things like looking back to heal something, doing research on something you're working on, or learning something.
Reflecting on fond memories that bring joy.
We can learn a lot from the past. History tends to repeat itself. The more we understand about the past, the more we can learn about the future.
00:07:41 - 00:08:15
Gino Wickman
Now the negative side of dwelling in the past.
Any time we are dwelling on something that doesn't make us feel good. Harboring old feelings. Hanging on to the good old days or the glory days.
I always joke about the 50-year-old still talking about being the high school quarterback. Let it go, man. There's a whole future in front of you.
It includes hanging on to old wounds, regrets, and past mistakes.
00:08:16 - 00:09:10
Gino Wickman
Now let's look at the future.
On the positive side: planning, creating a 10 Year Vision, decision-making, preparing for a big talk or meeting, and forecasting in business.
On the negative side: worrying about things that might happen, worst-case scenarios, building anxiety, anticipation, or impatience.
A simple rule of thumb: if it is causing anxiety, it is probably an unhealthy experience.
00:09:11 - 00:09:40
Gino Wickman
A side note about the future.
I believe we, the driven, spend more time in the future. By nature we probably should, because we are creators of things in this world.
We are not monks. Monks can spend more time in the present. Entrepreneurs probably spend more time in the future.
00:09:41 - 00:10:16
Gino Wickman
Now let's not forget the present.
Being present, aware, conscious. Feeling peace when we are present.
But even with the power of presence, are we supposed to spend all our time there?
00:10:17 - 00:11:19
Gino Wickman
So back to the question: how much time do you spend in the past, the present, and the future?
My clarity right now feels like it should be one-third, one-third, one-third.
I am not prescribing a formula. That just feels right to me right now.
Personally I skew too far into the future. Probably mostly future, least past, and the present somewhere in the middle.
00:11:20 - 00:12:06
Gino Wickman
Unfortunately I think most people spend most of their time in the past, reliving negative experiences. That might explain why there is so much depression in the world.
So I encourage awareness. Where is your mind at any given moment?
Think of those three buckets.
00:12:06 - 00:12:31
Gino Wickman
One quick side note.
If you cannot sleep at night, there is a good chance you are either in the past or the future on negative experiences.
A simple trick: deep belly breaths and focus on your feet. In my experience it will put you right to sleep.
00:12:31 - 00:12:56
Gino Wickman
This may be one of those episodes you want to listen to again from the beginning. It may be a little deep.
My gut tells me it might be valuable because it is short and to the point.
00:12:57 - 00:13:11
Gino Wickman
Thank you for listening in today. We truly appreciate you taking the time to spend with us.
Please tune in for the next episode. Until then, we wish you all the best in freeing your True Self.
Stay focused and much love.
