#150 Time Travel Musings: Reflecting on the Past, Anticipating the Future
What would you choose?
“Congratulations. You made it!”, I told myself this morning when I was writing this newsletter. If you have not noticed yet, this is 150th edition of The Passion Pad.
As I reflect back on the journey, I'm reminded of James Clear's sage advice from 'Atomic Habits.' He once humorously remarked that he penned enough blogs to fill a library before gaining serious readership – or at least it felt that way! His tale of toiling away through countless articles before hitting the jackpot serves as a hilarious reminder that success doesn't come overnight. It's more like a slow-cooked stew – simmered to perfection over time. And let's not forget about J.K. Rowling, who probably wallpapered her room with rejection letters before 'Harry Potter' took flight, or Stephen King, whose pile of 'thanks but no thanks' letters could have built a tower taller than my hair. So, as I raise my pen towards the sky and bow down to acknowledge all the applauds, I do so with a chuckle and a nod to the quirky journey we call writing. Here's to 150 editions of scribbling, giggling, and occasionally wondering if anyone's actually reading this stuff!
It’s March. When the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold. When the mornings are a little cold with a summer light and winter shade. As daylight stretches, so too does the mind, inviting contemplation of questions that drift into focus with the evening breeze. Last night, one such question popped in my thoughts:
If you had the chance, would you journey back into the past to reshape history, or venture into the future to see what lies beyond?
When we think about our lives and how we got here, it's pretty amazing. A lot of things had to happen just right for us to be who we are right now. From the beginning of the universe to the formation of Earth, so many little details had to line up perfectly for life to exist. If even one of those things went differently, we might not even be here today. Think about Earth itself. It's like a big puzzle where everything has to fit together just so. Countless variables, such as the composition of the atmosphere, the stability of Earth's orbit, the presence of liquid water, and the emergence of life-sustaining processes like photosynthesis, all played crucial roles. Even seemingly minor events, like the impact of asteroids or the evolution of particular species, have had significant impacts on the course of Earth's history.
Looking back on all of this, it's pretty incredible. We're here because of a long chain of events that started billions of years ago. And when we think about how lucky we are to be alive, it makes us grateful for every little thing that happened along the way.
Therefore, I would want to go into the future. I appreciate all the things that happened in the past that made me who I am today. Even though there might be some problems with going into the future, I know that everything that happened in the past was important. It's like a big puzzle that all fit together to make me who I am. And even though I might want to change some things from the past, I'm still grateful for how everything turned out. Thinking about changing the past makes me realize how everything is connected, and even a small change could make a big difference. But when I think about the future, I feel excited about all the new things I could discover and experience. Even though there might be some challenges ahead, I'm hopeful and curious about what's to come. While the past has shaped who I am today, I choose to look towards the future with hope and excitement. By acknowledging and appreciating the journey that has brought me here, I am grateful for the opportunity to continue evolving and experiencing all that life has to offer.
What do you think? What would you choose? Journey back into the past or venture into the future?
[Feedback required] I am in the middle of developing my own personal website (eventually turning it into a personal blog with a custom domain, moving away from substack). Do check it out at yathartharora.com and leave your feedback in the comments below.
What I read this week…
Top tweets of the week
I would love to move on, of course with reading your blog :) each and every minute of my past is a learning for me and I would love to move on with those experiences.
Wishing you best for each of your endeavour ☺️💕