Oh, our past! If only we can get rid of those parts of it that haunts us. Time and again many people are simply stuck there still dealing with the negative emotions and unable to move forward. The more intense the emotional experience, the more powerfully engrained it is within us. Each of us probably have experienced those parts of our past that we relived later.
Old pains from those we once had loved come back to play into our everyday lives. A parent who told you that you’d never amount to anything. A bully who constantly harassed you. And so many more past events that may be playing out in your life today. While we should learn from them, it is also true that we should move past the emotional hurts and into a more positive viewpoint.
Getting rid of those emotional past experiences will help free you like never before. Once I got past my father’s abuse, I was able to truly look into the hurts he suffered in his early life. I learned to forgive him and move forward. You and I may have been through some tough times in our early life and we can also leave it behind. From there, we move forward and not let those days define us now.
Truth be told is that our past does not exist except in our memories. And memories can become skewed. When we build up the emotions of a past event, we add more to it than what really happened. Most important is realizing that those emotional memories can be changed. If something triggers an emotional response based on the past, then change that trigger. What you believe about it now also leads to an emotion, which leads to a behavior and actions.
By removing the trigger (or activating experience) or changing the belief you have, you will change the outcome or consequence. You will be able to move from irrational behaviors to rational ones. Be aware of what leads you to have an emotional response and make a decision to change. It is truly about your thoughts. And you can change how you perceive a past event.
I wish you happiness, now and in the future… Always now…
Bob