We’ve all dealt with some questionable things in our past that we just don’t want to think about. Whether you don’t want to acknowledge them because of embarrassment or because they invoke bad feelings, you can’t deny that you relate. Although we don’t always want to think about why things happened the way they did, it’s important that we don’t completely neglect our past.
Everything that has happened in our lives has happened for a reason, regardless of how messed up they could have been. Sometimes it’s hard to accept that everything happens for a reason, but it’s true. Your past is the foundation of your present. There are reasons why you act the way you do. Your past shapes who you are now.
This is why we can’t neglect our past. There are so many lessons and habits that we’ve picked up throughout our life. Most of the time we’re subconsciously digging into our past to react appropriately to the situations we’re in today. For example, maybe you really regret dating that certain someone for two years in high school. It might make you absolutely cringe to even think about the sheer fact that you even spoke to them. I get it. But if you didn’t spend all that time dating that loser, then you wouldn’t know all the things you do now. Now you know better in what you’d want in a partner. You now know how you should be treated and what you do and don’t like. That’s all because of your past!
I’m not saying that all past situations are as insignificant as a cringey relationship, but the point is that all past situations provide us with lessons about how to live out our best present (and future)! It’s not always easy to think about certain things that may have happened to us, but there are ways to acknowledge them without fully thinking about the circumstances that took place.
Focus on the things you learned rather than the things that give you bad thoughts. Turn the negatives into positives. Instead of thinking, “I hate that that happened”, think “That wasn’t the best situation but now I know better!” Changing your mindset makes the past so much easier to think about and accept. The past helps you grow and there’s no limit to how much you can grow. Don’t neglect the things that are helping you grow!