Don't Let Your Past Define Today.
One thing that is certain between all human beings is that our past is filled with highs and lows of all different varieties. We have had moments where we felt unstoppable, and moments where we have feel helpless. That is simply called living.
The moments of your life are no longer realities, but memories that many hold on to for their own individual reasons. A memory can be stitched into your mind for the rest of your life, but you must ultimately be able to let go of the weight of your experiences. Some of these weights are much harder to release than others, but in order to move forward in the present you must emancipate yourself from your past.
The past defines who you were, the present defines who you are. You can only change what you do in the present, the past is locked away forever.
Jordan Peterson claims that your mind drifts to the past because it is trying to teach you something. What that means is if you are thinking about the past, then you are still trying to conclude on the events that transpired. You may be confused, you may not clearly understand, and you may want answers, so give them to yourself. Reflect a little bit, understanding the meaning of that moment, and move forward. You can find meaning from the past, but you can never change it, so leave it at that.
The more time you spend focusing on what is behind you and not what is in front of you, the more life gets sucked from your soul. More energy is taken away from the things that matter today. You become more upset you get trying to relive the memory, only to find yourself miles away from your destination. This happens because you cannot change what has happened, no matter how hard you try.
Each moment stands in independence. The actions you may have taken in the past can be forgiven, but they can never be changed.
Forgiveness in essence means to forget, or to not let the weight of that moment affect the relationship between you and the other person or yourself. It is to say that the present action is more valuable than the past actions. It is to say that I trust you again.
Forgiveness is something we see a lot when dealing with other people, but is also applies to ourselves. We all are human beings who mess up from time to time. We all have our expectations shattered. We all climb mountains of joy only to fall all the way back down the slopes. What matters is if you can climb the mountain once again with intentions of staying on top, and if you can recreate positive expectations within something even greater.
So I am asking you today to let go some of the dead weight you have been carrying around from your past. Alleviate yourself of the stress, and place that energy within the present moment. Trust that everything is going exactly to plan. If you do this, you will start to truly cherish the wonderful moments of your past, and you will truly forgive yourself of the moments where you experienced pain.