Small change: be here now

First published on
Sep 16, 2025
we’re stuck and struggling to change
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The Oasis reunion has much to teach anyone who is interested in the cultural life of a nation. Chief amongst its insights is the fact that human beings often find great solace in looking backwards. Distance can lend a sheen to circumstances that at the time were cracked and imperfect. 

As leaders, looking backwards (in anger or not) can be a huge temptation. We might relive conversations or situations that we wish we had managed differently. We might spend time re-litigating old battles or seeking to settle old scores. We might long for the return of less challenging times, and consciously or not seek to recreate them.

But all of this can take us away from what is happening right here, right now. The present is always alive with possibility. While those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it, we can never go back. The context will always be different, and the work to be done is always right here, in the present.

Something to consider: where is looking backwards no longer of service?

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