subject: Letting Go Of The Past [print this page] It's as though their sorrow and pain has become part of them and they'd be naked without it. In every case, it is a matter of choice. Do you choose to hold onto the past or are you prepared to work at letting it go? Let me put it simply. Do you drive your car by constantly looking in the rear vision mirror or do you look at the road ahead? Why look at your past with regret and disappointment? That creates depression and anxiety. The only reason to hold regret, resentment, and disappointment is if you want to blame someone for it ... yourself included. What if you looked at the past as a source of learning, a font of resources, which gave you the drive to create all the great things about you.
You can then attribute today's happiness to what, in the past, you learned doesn't work. You are an amazing person. I know that even if I don't know you. The question is ... do you know it? Do you live with or against the power of life flowing through you? It's either flowing or you're intentionally blocking it by choosing to hold onto the past. We all have battle scars. If you were a soldier, would your battle scars have made you afraid or made you a better warrior? I believe the latter. Your scars give you the power of knowledge and wisdom. You survived the battles ...
If there's one thing that my past has taught me, it is that negativity creates negative experiences. Positivity creates positive experiences in my life. That doesn't mean being sugary sweet about life ... life has its challenges and bitter moments ... but they are learning experiences, not damnation ... and they pass quickly into history. Today, make an heartfelt effort to value life for what it is. Leave those folks in the rear vision mirror to drive themselves ... you can't change anything behind you. And if you keep looking in the rear vision mirror, you'll end up crashing in the future. Self-Reflection Questions:
1. Do you find it challenging to live for today rather than relive the pain of the past?
2. How can you be truly content with treating the past as a learning experience?
3. What can you do to release your regrets, resentments, anger and disappointment? Dr Barry Pierce is a Gold Coast Hypnotherapist in Australia.
