Free Yourself and Let The Past Go So It Lets You Go

Keep moving forward and keep opening new doors — make your own good karma

Every so often, my mind would drift back to the past, to savor the days gone by, to reminisce about the good times. There was a strange feeling of contentment replaying those scenes over and over. The past seemed to have such power that it affected how I see myself and the world around me.

Past experiences are like a shield against future hurts when I keep them at the forefront of my awareness. Like a security system, it cautioned and reminded me to not let go of control so I will not risk being blindsided.

Though it sounded nice, the past I held onto so tightly prevented me from expecting better days to show up. As long as I’m living from my past references, I can’t create anything different. Perhaps I had assumed that the Universe will spontaneously diffuse the negative energy and automatically pull me away from anything that is not in alignment with my highest good. So I waited, stuck at the moment, hoping that situations would change and life would turn around for the better.

I guess letting go has never been easy. Many times it’s the push and pull that I struggle with. I knew I needed to let go, but holding on felt comforting and reassuring. Most times, I’d rather stay stuck in a familiar place than having to confront the fear of the unknown.

Letting go is not a one-time event. It is something I have to choose again and again. It’s a practice, a decision made moment by moment. If right now is all I have, will I choose to throw away my one precious moment? How about if I multiply that by a day, a month, or years? Wouldn’t I be wasting my life away?

Karma is an intention — make your life happen through your deeds — don’t wait for change — be the change.

Leaving the past behind

The past is only a memory, an image that lives in the mind. However, like an old photograph that depicts a familiar scene, I can’t bring it back to life. Humans generally like to apply mental timelines to all situations. We measure everything and slot them into the past, present, and future boxes. Anytime I measure a present situation by past experiences, I limit what can show up for me based on what I have experienced before. I held on to what I know and that prevents me from seeing beyond what is. My views and perceptions become narrow.

All emotions are taking place in the present moment. It’s not so much about what had happened, but it’s the outcome that affects the way we see and judge our world. When I allow old stories to narrate the meaning of my current condition, I rob myself of the experience that’s happening right now.

My past, or more specifically, my thoughts about the past, created who I am today and unless I’m ready to let them go, they will create who I will become tomorrow. I thought about what my past comprised: opinions of others that bothered me, conflicts that took place, objects that defined who I was, and the expectations I had for people and places that I have outgrown. If I’m not careful, these standards will continue to shape my future.

Deliberately choosing to let go sends a message to my subconscious mind that I’m ready and want to heal. Without healing taking place, I can’t create an alternative possibility. It would be so much easier than to just decide to heal and move on with life, but the monkey won’t let me go.

Creating new possibilities

Letting go can be hard because it means I’m choosing to let go of the part that made me who I am today. I’m leaving behind what is familiar and comfortable. That means letting go of old mindsets, swallowing my pride, accepting that it’s okay for me to be wrong sometimes, and letting go of expectations about how things should have been.

Letting go is a decision, and very often, one that I have to choose repeatedly. I do not let go because I feel I have to, but I decided it’s time for me to build a new reality. I no longer want to associate with who I was in the past, recognizing that image no longer represents me accurately.

I learn to open myself to all possibilities, reminding myself that everything I need is right here and now. I do not have to look back to the past but to be totally immersed in all that today has to offer. I learn to get out of my way, to slow down, breathe, and loosen the grips of the past. Most of all, I’m careful to avoid labeling or reacting to any unpleasant feelings. Instead, I allow them to come up freely and see it all as a free expression.

When we let go of those things that do not serve us, we hold space for alternative possibilities. It’s like clearing out a closet of junk that we no longer need and replacing it with what’s important and needful at this moment. When I clear out the debris of the past, I can fully commit to opening myself to new and unknown prospects and opportunities in life.

As the weight falls off my shoulders, I can finally become who I want to be and that’s a liberating feeling.