The best decision of my life so far: Letting go of the past
Dear friends,
Can you imagine yourself climbing a mountain while carrying the biggest, heaviest backpack? Can you feel that burden on your shoulders?
Can you imagine yourself running to catch the train of your life while holding big, heavy suitcases in your hands? Do you feel how uncomfortable that is?
The same happens with our past. We carry around all those hurtful memories, experiences and events wherever we go. We show them off or try to hide them, we feel proud or depressed about them, but we keep holding on to them.
The past is part of our identity, but it is its emotional heaviness that keeps us stuck and holds us down like anchors.
We can barely move, let alone run or hope for a bright new future.
For the last few years and especially since I gave birth to my daughter, I’ve been in the full process of releasing parts of my past that were no longer serving me, but rather keeping me stuck in a golden cage.
This (still) ongoing process of releasing the past has had its victories and failed attempts, but it has been by far the best decision of my life! With every little thing that I manage to release – be it patterns, preconceptions or even tucked away pain – I get lighter and I enjoy the sweet taste of freedom. My backpack becomes lighter and lighter.
However, I still keep in mind the lessons it has taught me – the past is an incredible teacher, once you decide to look at it from this angle. Every past event, every experience, be it painful or negative, holds a nugget of wisdom and a valuable lesson for us to learn and remember. Nevertheless:
The past should be a teacher not a tyrant.
The past shouldn’t be running the show and by all means, it shouldn’t be ruining our lives.
Once you realize that you and only you are calling the shots, you begin to understand that there are several other valid scenarios for your life and that you may allow history not to repeat itself but rather to rewrite & reinvent itself.
It all starts with the decision to change what hasn’t worked for you in the past and to mend, by living differently, what was broken, hurt or ruined in the past. I believe that we are given a certain amount of time on this planet, but it is us who decide how we will spend it. I, for instance, don’t want to dance to the same tune for the rest of my life, especially since that tune may be broken.
I want to live life dancing to my own music and by choosing that, I also choose to let go of the past.
So, come along with me! Let’s make our own music.
Let us drop those heavy backpacks. Let us be free and content while creating a different present and a brighter future for ourselves.
Sending much love your way,
Clover
