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.
