gonna take a short break to hydrate and stuff, and i consider adjusting things in this manner to keep things more consistent and less stiff in interpretation:
past → past/root/old pattern
future → future/trajectory
because “past” is a strong word while the roots and genealogy of your situation and status quo might be less visible while also being more widely present
and saying a definitive “future” feels less honest to me than saying “trajectory”
implying a course and existing momentum + personal agency and stearing