A lot of people are crumbling under the weight of their past and they can't seem to find a way out. They have beaten themselves up so much that you would think they are the worst person in the world. From the outside, we seem to judge these people also too quickly especially when they sin differently than what we used to do but the truth is, we are all the same; imperfect and with a past that some of us would like to bury forever and banish from our thoughts.
There is no one without a past and I am not talking about those fond memories we would like to go back to but a past where we wish we can do things differently. It doesn't have to be a past filled with criminal activities or more grievous sins but a past where if we were given a lifeline to go back and change something, we would go back without thinking twice.
There are so many things I wish I can do differently and I am sure that's the case for most people if not all. We have been caught up in a web of regrets that we have forgotten to live. We have it hanging over our heads about the regrets we had so much that we keep making more mistakes just by not forgiving ourselves of that past. The past should remain what it is; the past. We can't go back to change anything because this is life, not a movie that we can rewrite the script as we wish.
I sometimes wish I have a magic wand and voila! I would go back in time as with a space machine to change a lot of things. I know it's not easy to let go of the past. I would be living in a cocoon world of self-delusion to make it sound so easy. It is not easy but it's not like we have another life, so why not make the best of what we have since we can't go back to change anything. We can't go back to make a brand new start but why not make a happy ending instead? We can still make a fine tune out of the broken strings but we have to learn how to in a new way. That's why we have to keep learning in this life.
Life is for those who can learn because life would throw a lot at us and regrets would set it, we would be close to giving up but what we need to do is to keep learning how to navigate life so we won't get hooked on the past we can no longer change.
I believe we all have a past and the past would always have that influence on our future. It would always be that dark cloud hanging over us but we can make the best out of it. Most people have allowed their past to rob them of the present joy and the future too. We have those who waste today lamenting about yesterday and that's the same way they would waste tomorrow, lamenting about today.
The past has a way of hindering us only if we allow it. I know the influence is strong but so is our strength too. It might be a struggle to break free from our past but there is a clear difference between hard and impossible. The past has nothing to offer other than fear which stops us from being as productive as we should.
It would take a lot of determination for you to break free from the past. When I mean free, not completely free but free to the point where you get to the point of moving on with your life and the thoughts of the past won't be strong enough to hold you down anymore.
The first step to breaking free is admittance. You have to recognize the hold your past has on you. Most people live in self-denial and keep pushing it as though they are not bothered and yet they would only be circling around on the same spot like the barber's chair. They would confuse motion with progress while they are rooted to the same spot. The day you recognize your limitations and then take a step towards them, that's when you can experience true freedom.
You begin to ask, "How do I let go of this past when I am crumbling under the weight of it?" Or "How do I deal with this past that keeps raising its ugly head at every turn?". We need to understand that the past has no power to repeat itself again unless we allow it. The past has no power except the power you give to it so we need to choose to let it stay where it is; in the past, where it would have no power to hurt us further and it starts with having a mental shift. We have to start with the way we think and the way we see ourselves. You have forgiven so many of the despicable things they did to you why not start with yourself too?
The past reminds us of the mistakes we have made and how fragile we can be or how horrible, depending on the past. We have to learn from that past and know that what we did, yes, that's who we are but that doesn't mean that's who we would be. I love this quote and I've never forgotten about it: "I don't know who my grandfather was but I am so interested in who his grandson would be." - Anonymous. We need to be intentional about who we would turn out to be and it starts with letting go of the hold the past has on us.
"You cannot stop a bird from flying over your head but you can stop that bird from having a nest there." - Anonymous. There are some things beyond our control but the ones within our control, we don't have to give that rights away. You should be better than you were yesterday and it starts with the choices you make today. Stop living in pity and show how much your future means to you.
It's hard but not impossible, so try and let go of the baggage of the past, highlight the lessons there and let those lessons guide you not to make a repeat. You deserve to be happy. When we hold on to the past too much, we won't be the only ones to suffer it but those who genuinely care about us too. For your sake and theirs, learn to let go. You can be better.
Merry Christmas to you all.
This post also appeared here and it's my original work on my blog on Read.Cash.
Thank you for your time.
My pen doesn't bleed, it speaks, with speed and ease.
Still me,
My tongue is like the pen of a ready writer.
Olawalium; (Love's chemical content, in human form). Take a dose today: doctor's order.
I am working on thaaaaat :)
Mammmmmmmmmmmmma! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️