The Past Will Not Define My Present

There are many people who live their lives attached to their past. A past that is still alive in the present, that weighs them down, and that frustrates them, that makes them suffer constantly. The past has already been left behind and we must not revive it. Furthermore, we must stop living in the past.

Our life is a cycle in which we are always moving forward. This is why we cannot move backwards in time to change mistakes that we have made, words that we have said, etc. But there is something positive, and that is that we can be better today, without repeating what we did not want to happen.

A present full of “what if…”

Despite the fact that we can choose more than one path in our lives, that we can go back if we see that this one does not lead us where we really wanted to, what we certainly cannot do is change what has already happened. We often think about the possibilities of what could have happened if we had acted differently, if we had taken a risk… All of those “what if…” and many more make us think about possible outcomes that would prevent us from regretting our past in the present.

We don’t realize that each choice leaves a mark on our present. If we had acted differently, we would not be the same people we are now. Maybe this would be of some relief, but your present may not turn out to be as good as you think in your imagination.

So start seeing the past as something that happened and that cannot be changed. Get rid of those “what ifs…” that are not worth thinking about since you are not going to change anything. You are only going to torture yourself and get even more frustrated. Leave the past in the past.

Now is the time to change

If you are still anchored down by those “what ifs…” it is time for you to give yourself a chance to change. That is to say, we cannot change the past, but with our actions, we can make everything we did into a lesson.

We constantly think that mistakes are something negative, but we are mistaken. Without mistakes, we cannot learn; without wrong, there is no right. This is the time for you to change, which is why you must see your past as a chance to learn.

Take everything that you did not like about yourself, all those words that you did not want to say, and all of those mistakes that led you down the path of bitterness. Put them all in a little box, analyze them, and save them. From now on, you will never trip over the same stone again.

Although it may hurt sometimes to look back, or even worse to analyze our errors and mistakes, it is important for us to do it so that we can keep moving forward, changing, and overcoming challenges. Closing our eyes will never be a good idea. This just keeps us trapped in the past.

Keep walking, even if it’s hard

Now is the time to keep walking. You have already analyzed your past, seen what kinds of mistakes you have made, what has hurt you, and now it is time to move forward. You cannot live anchored to your past. What happens then to your present?

The more time you are in the past, the more opportunities you will be letting pass by. Moreover, let us imagine that something has hurt you a lot, there have been people that you have met who have harmed you. If you live in the past, you will gain more and more mistrust, you will lose the chance to make new friends and to know great people. If you let go of the past and keep walking, you will recover your lost trust again and meet new people who will fill your life with light and joy.

Don’t you realize that living anchored to your past is refusing to be happy? Start letting go of the past, because holding onto it is almost like holding a grudge against someone. This stops you from moving forward, this stops you from growing, and this stops you from achieving true happiness.

You do not deserve a life filled with bitterness. Time goes by, the present is fleeting, and it is necessary for you to give it the attention that it deserves. Learn from your past and walk firmly towards the future while you enjoy a present that will quickly pass before your eyes.