The past. For some, it was such a horrible time. For others, it was pretty decent. For those of us, however, who didn't have a fabulous past, this article is for you because we know, you are still hanging on. Why we hang on is anybody's guess really. Is it a comfortable place? Are we still trying to analyze what happened and play the what if game? Possibly. For whatever reason, we are still clinging to it.
For many of us, however, letting go is a very complicated thing to do. We simply can't. We hang on to this part of our life and we don't want to let it go. It doesn't make us feel any better. It does nothing for our self worth or love. So how do we get rid of all these dreadful memories of the past? Here are a few questions to ask yourself that just might help you get over this and past this.
1. What purpose is it serving today?
All those horrible memories. How are they serving you today? Are they making your life any easier, better, simpler, happier? In what way are they contributing to a healthy and happy life right now? Past memories that are painful serve no purpose. They do no good whatsoever. We are here to live a life of joy, peace and happiness. A life for today because of today, not from yesterday. Leave it be.
2. Can I solve today's problems because of it?
Probably not. Unless you have a recurring negative event in your life, you will not be able to handle today's situations with yesterday's toxic memories. In fact, they will probably only do more harm than good. Keep in mind, you cannot fix today's problems with yesterday's troubles. It just won't work. Get rid of them.
3. Are they thinking of me?
Most likely not. Whoever it is that is causing your pain has long since moved on and are probably not thinking about you or the pain they caused you. As a matter of fact, they probably couldn't care any less about you or your feelings. They are probably really happy in their new life without you. Move on. Why should you let them stay in your head and pollute it, rent free, when they don't give you even one split second of a thought? Think about that for one second.
4. Do you have weighted shoulders?
Do you have a heaviness in your heart and feel like you are carrying extra weight on your shoulders? If you are hanging on to the past, then the answer to those two questions is probably yes. You don't need or deserve to carry any extra weight or baggage. It is keeping you from a life of peace and happiness. If you sometimes feel a stab of pain in your chest or your upper back, it's probably your past. Let go, feel free.
5. Is it keeping you from happiness today?
Do you feel constant sadness and misery because of whatever happened in the past? Go back to question 1. How is this sadness serving you today? It is only getting in the way of you living a life of joy. You will not find joy or happiness if you are hanging on to something that no longer serves you. You are blocking happiness from entering your life. It really wants to come to you but you aren't making any room for it. There is no room for it.
Always remember that whatever you are desperately hanging on to, for whatever reason, if it's negative, you are blocking any and all good from coming to your life. There is no satisfaction or joy in hanging on to the past, anger, hurt or grudges towards people who hurt us. Having this mentality is only going to continually hurt you and keep you from love. Forgiveness is a powerful act. Use it. Forgive everybody who hurt you. Do it for you, not for them, and move on.