There is some movement toward glorified nostalgia in our current culture. We are encouraged to long for simpler times or when times were “better.” Maybe there was more civility. Maybe there was a greater sense of community. Maybe we didn’t share as much. Maybe we felt safer. Maybe we felt stronger. Maybe we had more time and space. Maybe now we are taking a look around and not liking what we see.

What makes the past seem so much better? Is it revisionist history? Is it having the answers now you wish you had then? Is it obsessing about a conversation or event that went wrong, and you find yourself awake in the middle of the night chastising yourself for what you think you should have said or done? How do we create progress when we are living in the past?

To Engage in the Present

Honeysuckle essence is our “embracing the past” essence. This essence works well when there has been loss, death, or grief. It helps when we want to immerse ourselves in the dream of when things were whole and intact. We can’t seem to engage in the present. We take a look around and either don’t want or don’t recognize our presence in the present.