Creating a Fresh, New Future

The Power of Freeing Yourself from the Past

If there’s one aspect of our existence that continually casts a long shadow over our lives and dims our prospects for a happier and more successful future – it’s an unexpected influence that we rarely think about in the context of the harm it can inflict on the quality of our lives. If you haven’t guessed what it might be – allow me to share the answer with you. We are referring, my friend, to the past.

If you want to fly in the sky, you need to leave the earth.

If you want to move forward, you need to let go the past that drags you down.

?- Amit Ray

The experiences that shape our lives and leave their impression on our attitudes and beliefs form the foundation of our sense of the past. Yet, it must seem strange that so many people are largely conditioned by their negative experiences, rather than by the moments that brought joy and happiness into their lives. Strange, perhaps. But true nonetheless.

We seem to be conditioned to respond more deeply to emotional pain than we do to happiness. We seem – perversely perhaps – to attach less importance to being happy than we do to avoiding pain. Perhaps this is because we learn at a very early age to avoid events that could be unpleasant or harmful. So, in its way, it makes sense. The problem with this defensive emotional arrangement is that we easily become conditioned by painful events. Their influence continues to shape our expectations and forms the foundation for our expectations of the future.

You can only lose what you cling to.

-??????Buddha

One of the reasons that our lives seem strangely destined to repeat old patterns and situations, recycling unhealthy habits and inappropriate behaviours, is that our view of the future is powerfully influenced by whatever has happened in the past. This is the great cycle that flows through people’s lives without their conscious permission or awareness. It’s the way we recycle the past over and over again, imprinting its patterns on our lives and wondering why things go wrong when we seem so determined to make things better.

None of this is inevitable. We are not bound to repeat the past in a continuous cycle of repeated mistakes.

And that’s why it’s so important to be able to let go of the past. It’s a truly revolutionary skill to acquire and one of the most powerful ways to ensure a completely fresh and fulfilling future.

When we think we have been hurt by someone in the past, we build up defenses to protect ourselves from being hurt in the future. So, the fearful past causes a fearful future and the past and future become one. We cannot love when we feel fear. When we release the fearful past and forgive everyone, we will experience total love and oneness with all.

― Gerald G. Jampolsky

Letting go involves releasing the physical tension from our bodies. It’s an ancient understanding that we retain memories of past hurts, distress, anger, fear and disappointment in our posture. By relaxing our bodies, loosening the knots in our muscles, breathing more deeply and encouraging a more flexible range of movement, we can encourage our minds to release the burdens of the past and free ourselves from the weight of painful experiences.

This is not intended to trivialise our hurts. It is intended to free us from their grip and allow us to live a life that is no longer contaminated by the painful shadows of the past.

Suffering is not holding you. You are holding onto your suffering. When you become good at the art of letting sufferings go, then you’ll come to realise how unnecessary it was for you to drag those burdens around with you. You’ll see that no one else other than you was responsible. The truth is that existence wants your life to become a festival.

-??????Osho

By relaxing the body and breathing more deeply, we can acquire a sense of being more centered within ourselves. This helps us to consider the past in a new context. We feel calmer, less threatened, more detached. And this leads us to a clearer state of mind where we can choose to release ourselves from our old feelings. We can close the chapters that highlighted our pains and defeats and open a fresh page which has no connection to anything that went before.

This is the perfect place to describe our vision for a fresh, new future. By releasing the past, we disconnect ourselves from its old, emotional capacity to shape our expectations. We begin to see ourselves and the world around us in a new light. Life appears to be brighter, fresher, filled with opportunities. Then the future can fulfil its potential by following our new, empowered vision of what’s truly possible.

Hanging on to resentment is letting someone you despise live rent-free in your head.

– Ann Landers

This principle applies to habits, feelings, relationships and every aspect of the human condition. If you’re unwilling to let go of the painful episodes from your past, you’re calling them into manifestation again in your future.

Make today the perfect moment when you declare yourself free from the past. Banish the shadows. Release the attachments. Turn your heart and mind towards a much brighter vista, a new and empowered vision that more fully represents the future you know you can create. Let the future become a completely fresh, exciting and fulfilling place for you enjoy to the maximum.

Asking ourselves, ‘Where am I right now?’ gives us a chance to step outside the internal dialogue for a moment of peace. Look around you, take a deep breath and notice what you see, hear and feel. Present moment awareness is the point of power and choice. It frees us from our compulsive thoughts.

– Laura Harvey

Are you ready right now for a completely fresh approach to life’s great adventure? Get in touch with us today for a free session to discover how the growing global movement for personal growth, success, change and empowerment can enhance your life!

Greg Parry created The Wellness Foundation and the Cognitive Empowerment Programs specifically to help people master their stress, overcome their limitations and explore the power of their true potential.

If you enjoy these blogs, you can imagine how much fun it is to have Greg in the room as an inspirational and highly perceptive speaker. If you’d like to invite Greg to talk to your company or organisation or event, feel free to get in touch.

You can contact Greg and explore our websites at:

www.thewellnessfoundation.eu