Last Wednesday I met online one of my Korean students, first time this year. The meeting drags me out of my vacation mood, even though I am not back yet. First thing first for the new year: our new year resolution.
Long ago when I was in elementary school in China, around the turn of the year, my father always asked me to do two things: a reflection on the past year and a plan for the next year.
Nowadays I think it's better to focus on what's ahead. Confucius said this about the past: 成事不说，遂事不谏，既往不咎 (Chéngshì-bù-shuō, suì-shì-bù-jiàn, jì-wǎng-bù-jiù) that is, Say nothing about our past accomplishments. Disapprove not on matters that have already been done. Let bygones be bygones.
The idea that we can learn valuable lessons from our past and avoid repeating the same could be an illusion when learning and changing for better come with certain complexities.
The complexity involves the fact that very often our behavior is determined by who we are. We won't learn anything from our past and behave differently unless we change ourselves.
Therefore, Confucius' words on what happen in the past is loaded with considerable wisdom. Don't waste our time on dwelling on the past.
We can't change our past course, can't keep past glories. Let go of the past so we can move on burden-free and focus on becoming the type of individual we aspire to be.