Think about this for a second: If you had the chance, would you go back in time? Forget the science fiction stuff for now, and just ponder these two questions: Would you want to revisit the past, and if so, what changes would you make?
I can’t help but get caught up in those “Back to the Future” kind of dilemmas when I think about it. You know, the whole idea that messing with the past could mess up the present. So, would I want to mess with time and change anything?
My mind keeps flitting between the benefits and the risks of playing around with time travel. Would the historical events I’d get to witness or the amazing people I would get to meet be worth the risk of never meeting my son, never making it to New Mexico, or never becoming the person I am today?
It’s pretty normal to look back at our past and think that a few tweaks could make our present better. But what would happen if we tweaked out all the pain and struggle? Would that be the best path for us, with no chance for challenges and growth?
If I could wave a wand and life became seamless, without any struggle would I continue to grow? Would endless ease, comfort, and no challenges stifle me? Would other struggles rise to the surface even as I lived in the lap of luxury?
Having no struggle and ease could allow me to grow in many ways that being in survival wouldn’t allow. And because we are ever-curious creatures and because we can find struggle anywhere, the opportunities for growth would present themselves.
I am reminded of how even the top 1% of the 1% face struggles, as do kings and industry leaders with their untold wealth. The healthiest amongst us can complain about the weather and the youngest can complain about feeling old.
We grow either way.
As I meander through this life, I am finding that even the hardest days I want because they bring me to myself in ways I couldn’t engineer. They bring a bounty of truth that dispels illusions of my smallness, my aloneness, and my otherness.
They remind me that I am part of the whole and that I don’t want shortcuts, life hacks, or energy drinks. I want Life, In the Now. Forever more.
All experiences, good and bad, shape us and we have the option to choose how to interpret those experiences. And as we grow, get wiser, and bring all of that into ourselves, we start to appreciate life for what it is. Sometimes it’s scary, sometimes it’s a wild ride, but it’s always pretty amazing.
So, what’s your take on time travel? Would you jump at the chance to explore your past and discover more about yourself? Happy Back to the Future Day to all of us daydreaming about our own Delorean Time Machines!
Much Love,
Navjit