By Mike Bossy

I watched two movies last week. One was called Pilgramage and was set in 13^th century Ireland. In the movie, a group of monks must escort a sacred relic across a perilous landscape. The relic (fictional) has links to St Matthias, the 12^th apostle. St. Mathias was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. I was not aware of his inclusion and often wondered why we always referred to the twelve apostles.

In between watching these two movies, I listened to a Dan Sullivan podcast called the “Two Axioms for Entrepreneurs to Live By.” In Sullivan’s first axiom, he refers to the past. What people call their past and their future are made up. It’s their interpretation of events that are made up. These interpretations change with time. Maybe that explains why I thought I was a good basketball player. I was a legend in my own mind.

Now to the second movie, a remake called Total Recall . In the movie there is a character named (you guessed it), Matthias. It’s kind of weird how that name led me down this path in the first place. In the movie, Matthias has the following conversation with the main character Doug Quaid:

Matthias : Mr. Hauser, What is it you want?

Doug Quaid : I want to help you.

Matthias : That is not the only reason you are here.

Doug Quaid : I want to remember.

Matthias : Why?

Doug Quaid : So I can be myself, be who I was.

Matthias : It is each man's quest to find out who he truly is, but the answer to that lies in the present, not in the past. As it is for all of us.

Doug Quaid : But the past tells us who we've become.

Matthias : The past is a construct of the mind. It blinds us. It fools us into believing it. But the heart wants to live in the present. Look there. You'll find your answer.

Both Dan Sullivan and Matthias had the same message about the past. There are mental constructs that can blind us. So how do you want to shape your present?