Who Were You?

Does Reincarnation matter

Why does everyone want to have been famous in a past life, to have been a powerful mystic or healer, killed as a martyr, or praised as a hero? Couples often talk about being married in a past life, as if this is a  guarantee of future happiness, which is seldom, if ever, true. Perhaps we visualize a past life that is more exciting than our current life, and makes us deserving of praise and accolades.

There is a new-age script that we reincarnate over and over again, perhaps endlessly until we have had every experience available, which is not remotely possible. There is no way to know the truth about reincarnation; not if it is real or how it works. But if it is real, and if we do come back, there must be a deeper reason than to just randomly experience life, or to repeat old habits, behaviors and patterns. We must come back to  grow in some way, and that does not happen with perpetual punishment or illusion of past greatness.

So what is the point of remembering past lives? Not to rejoice with pride in our past accomplishments, or to use a past life as bragging rights, but to recognize old outdated, harmful, repeating patterns. And to change them. We are here to resolve what was unfinished in the past by making different choices and leading  different lives.

Because regardless of our past, it is our present that is important. Not by following some short pithy bumper-sticker sized statement, like’ be your best’, or’ live fully’, or even ‘seize the day’, but by learning and growing and admitting our mistakes and trying again. These choices are the way we create our future, not be relying on dreams of past mythic lives, but by living our soul’s journey each day.