Letting go of the past is something we hear when working our way through times of transition. This is not the same as forgetting about the past. The past informs us as we envision a way forward. However, there are some things in our past that are not helpful as we seek a way forward.
Letting Go
During times of transition, the past is helpful as it informs us and gives us an opportunity to learn what works and what doesn’t work as we seek to envision something new for the future. So, letting go of the past does not necessarily mean that we forget what happens in the past. What it does mean is that as we are informed by our past, we take stock of the things that help us envision the future and we look at those things in our past that hold us back from envisioning this new future.
There are some things to consider when discerning what to let go of in our past. One thing to consider is our wounds and how we heal them in order to move ahead. Wounds whether they are emotional, mental or even physical must be healed in order to move into a new future. Sometimes this takes a while and these wounds need to be cleaned up regularly. The first step in cleaning and healing our wounds has to do with forgiveness. We first must forgive the person, the event, the circumstances that caused the wound. Then we must present the wound for healing. Sometimes we call this surrender. Our personal role in the healing is simply to allow the healing. This means that we remove anger, fear, judgement and those kinds of things so the wound can heal.
Ponder
What are the things in your past that keep you from envisioning a new future? What wounds are not healed? Are there thought patterns that need to change? Or maybe there are old habits you need to give up and new habits that you can establish to help you move forward. If you would like to learn more about forgiveness or how to develop a healing and cleansing routine let me know. Letting go of the hurtful things of the past is important during times of transition and to envisioning a new future.
