The past most people still rely on, the past defines what was you and today wasn't you back then, the past can be hurtful but the past can be forgotten and moved on, those that have hurt you or done wrong by you is a thing in the past not the present. The present defines you today, not tomorrow or the future or the past. Sometimes we learn from our biggest to smallest mistakes but honestly we all make mistakes either if it's the past, present, future, but by stating future, you CAN make a change what ever happens in your future, YOU can become someone you always have wanted to be, YOU have to work for it and earn it then you will be proud of yourself. You make mistakes. I make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes and the thing by making mistakes is by learning by them and becoming better within ourselves. People can't always use things from the past against you, the past is a thing, a thing in the past and was not you. We may not be proud what we have done or experienced and wished we never went there. Some are happy and proud of their past. There will always be hate within this dying planet, but hate is life like Love, lust, envy, jealously, sadness etc. We can make things change if we make the changes within ourselves. Sometimes relying on friends, lovers, family can help anyone get there but who should one really rely on? YOU! You should always rely on yourself and sometimes not on others cause as you and myself have experienced, we are always getting let down and hurt by them but we cannot hurt ourselves if we put our minds to the test. We may not be great. We may not know it all. We may not be liked. We maybe hated by A lot. We may not have the power. But we have our minds and hearts to put to the test. So the question is, who defines you? Your past, your present or your future self?
Someone who I respect a lot once told me: "remember the past, but don't dwell on it. use it as a tool, not as a weapon. your past doesn't define, and neither does your future. the present defines you. make use of it. " Thought it was relevant.
Every time op says mistakes or past you take a shot Edit:btw, I just read through like a quarter of it and I noticed this. Shouldn't it just be "We learn from our mistakes?" Sometimes and biggest to smallest seems pretty filler, imo.
My past dictates what not to do in my present and future. For the last three years, I would say my future defined me. By now, I've actually reached that future and made it my present. Context for this: Years of severe clinical depression in high school. By the end of high school I was completely unrecognizable compared to the person I was before high school, due to both illness and major principle/value shifts. I no longer had (or have) any significant pre-high school influence on me that could count as "defining." Once I hit college, I started coming out of the depression, but since I changed so much there wasn't a non-depressed "me" I could revert back to. So, I started inventing my own personality. It didn't work right off the bat, but I continued forcing myself to debelop habits and characteristics that would show clear in the future. I needed a personality, and made my own. The future (the goal of making my personality) defined me then. Now, I've reached that point. I function normally and only tweak myself as needed. I live for the moment, while making sure what I do also prepares my future. I define myself by what I can do in the moment, for the people or circumstances around me. Because in the end, what matters except the people we influenced and impacted positively? Few people wish that they had done less good when they're on their deathbed. All I can hope for is that I did satisfied having achieved all I can.
[quote="YA-_Eagle_-FI You should always rely on yourself and sometimes not on others cause as you and myself have experienced, we are always getting let down and hurt by them but we cannot hurt ourselves if we put our minds to the test. question is, who defines you? Your past, your present or your future self?[/quote] It's not always better to rely on yourself. People can be their own worst enemy. Friends & families help Past is definitely past, but it does also help shape who you are as a person. You do you Eagle. Don't let someone else dictate who you are