The reality of life is that people have very short memory spans — largely because recalling beyond what is short-term takes effort.

This is true at work and in relationships with clients. This is true at home and in relationships with significant others and even children.

It is, perhaps, part of our humanness that we have very short memory spans and that we only tend to recall what has been very recently. It’s the path of least effort for us.

However, that should not stop us from unearthing more than the recent past.

I think the good in people can be seen not just from what they have recently done, but also — and perhaps more so — in the things they have done farther down memory lane.