Memories are tools that shape our lives.
Memory is an important part of our learning process. Learning makes our lives meaningful. Our minds are full of memories—pleasant, sad, or just so-so. In all cases, memories transmit some lessons to be taken ourselves or shared with others. Most of our memories are wired so deeply in our minds that we quote them in our discussions, like stories from movies, again and again.
Old memories are quickly retrievable as we grow older. At times, we fail to recall everything about past events because we pay little attention to what was going on at the time. Old memories are hardly wiped out. We also solve papers in exams based on memories and reasoning. So memories have worked wonders since early childhood for all of us.
In one friendship, we gained immensely, while in another, we suffered greatly. Both cases had given us opportunities to learn to be close to what kind of people and keep distance from whom. It is a simple example. We share our episodes to raise awareness among our contacts.
Every year, there are thousands of stories for anyone: professionals, self-employed, students, homemakers, filmmakers, farmers, or artists. Even idle people have their own series of stories.
Memories enrich our experiences. Our actions in the days gone by have helped us understand the difference between harmful and beneficial actions.
We are all eager to make our lives smooth and rewarding. We face obstacles. They’re our stories to serve as guidelines for our future actions. Anything abnormal is a story. Missing a flight because of a traffic jam is a great memory for those who suffered. It is a lesson to make allowance for the possibility of jams while reaching on time is a must.
Getting admitted to a reputed institution is a turning point in the careers of aspirants. Such people never forget such moments, and on all occasions, they describe how they cracked the competition. The listeners get a lesson on how hard labour never goes in vain.
A strengthening relationship and its waning are both stories, and we learn how they operate in our social dynamics and cultural landscapes.
Carrying bad memories is certainly a cause of anxiety. It must be addressed at once. However, we must take note of not repeating the same blunders or negligence in the future. There are some non-repairable damages that must be managed to the best of our abilities. Once wrong, keep us doubly alert.
Our own stories of life are worth sharing and making people aware of the patterns of what happened, including our failures to rein in the situations. Some people get these stories recorded for future reference. It is a good habit. Some write books about what they have faced and how they observed it throughout. We are using the "sayings" of great observers after hundreds of years, and those narratives are equally powerful in today’s scenario.
While sharing our memories, we need to be truthful and not hide our own weaknesses. We must not impose our viewpoints. There are many ways to do a single task. Claiming ourselves superior in any endeavour crosses the limits of the purpose of sharing our memories.
Let us use our memories as assets to set our own lives and the lives of others on the right track.
