Owning up to your Past & changing your Future

In the book of Ezra Chapter 5 the captives from Babylon are transitioning back into life in Judah and a big part of that is rebuilding the temple. Men of Judah were working on the temple when some officials came and asked them why and under who's authority they were rebuilding the temple. They tell them they are building under a decree by the king, but the best part is when they tell the official why they are rebuilding. They said they are servants of God and are rebuilding Solomon's temple. They continued by saying that they were rebuilding b/c their fathers were disobedient and did not follow God, and because of that they were sent into captivity. Reading that I thought that could not have been easy to say that the people of your heritage (yourself included in that) really messed up. They knew where they had been but were not proud of it. They also knew that b/c of their past they had to work hard to get back to where they were supposed to be. They didn't get down on themselves & let their past dictate their future. They were there working hard to now make things right b/c God had given them a second chance.
I believe that it is important to know where we have come from to own up to it not in a prideful way but to be honest with yourself. It is good to remind ourselves that we are not perfect and that God's Grace is huge. It is not good to dwell on the past. It is good to focus on Jesus in the now and in the future.