When do we stop getting pushed by our past??

When or will we ever stop being pushed by our past and do we actually have any control at all?

If you look for a moment every decision we make we make by a past action like falling dominos. Where did the action start? Who is experiencing the action and outcome? Is it possible to make a desicion on something without the consultation of the past?
Who are we without our past and all the problems and/or joy that we place in the future?
Why will it always be better in the future, why is the carrot continue to pull us toward this imagined state of greatness?
Will we ever be free from the trap?