Never forget… or forever forget?

During life we go through so many experiences. Some are recorded deeply into the soul and we remember their images, sounds and sensations; they are also present in our habits, lifestyle, our way of thinking and communicating with others.

Other experiences, we forget so much that it is as if we have never had them: that wonderful food, this person who is talking, former co-workers…

Nothing bad about that, as it is normal, but the problem is when we remember what we should have forgotten and we forget what we should have remembered. What to do about it?

Let’s focus on the things we forget…

First of all, we shouldn’t feel bad if we have forgotten something*; there is always a reason for that. Maybe that scene is not relevant anymore in my life or at least, not at this moment; perhaps, I really didn’t see benefit in it. If someone is close to me, to us, they will accept that forgetfulness as normal and if it is necessary, they will remind us with kindness.

Now, if something was forgotten that was really important, a simple tip is to make it relevant again. For instance, I used to write poetry in my youth, but that was all forgotten; then, for some volunteer work, I had the challenge of reminding people of some duty and poetry, in a humorous way, has been used to do that – the person laughs at it, they like it and they do what they would be supposed to do!

Last, there is something we can control: what we are living right now. To remember or forgetting something, there are three questions we can ask ourselves:

• What am I learning?
• What is the experience I am living here that I want to treasure?
• Which of the experiences I am going through I will share with others?

This will help to keep something in memory, but also to release those things that are not useful or significant.

Of course, we have to do something to keep the memory: take pictures, write something, shoot the scenes… But the most important work has been done as that scene of our life has become more than just a passing cloud, turning into an important part of our life, something we will always remember…

* Sometimes, memory problems can be caused by physical reasons. If you forget things in a certain pattern, it is good to check with a doctor.