What if you could change the past – or if not change it, put it away on a shelf in your mind and only allow yourself to take it out and re-examine it in a neutral setting with an objective mind?
What if all the things you perceived to be “bad” in the past were actually opportunities for learning and growth? If those things were now on your shelf, could you look at them and acknowledge them for what they truly are? Could you see the benefits they’ve brought to your life and be grateful for them in that capacity?
What if all your good experiences were also on that shelf – the things that you romanticize, but are no more? Those things that also hold you back from reaching your present-day potential.
By putting the past away, and focusing your intentions on the present, you are claiming your power to change the influence past events have on you. In doing so, you are also changing the energy around yourself, which in turn, will attract fresh new experiences and challenges rather than a recycling of the old ones.
What if choosing to live in the present and focusing on how to deal with the issues of the here-and-now could actually lead to your ideal future? Where would you be then?
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcroldan/322890921/
8 comments:
this is outstanding. what if. i think those words have stopped many people in their tracks. why should what if's be regrets anyway. your what if's have opened the other side. the side that will lead to growth, happiness, a quality life...
Hi Felicitas,
We have the power to change our perceptions and use them to facilitate our future. Just by shifting our attention and focusing on what we CAN do now will ultimatly change how we feel about life, love and the pursuit of happiness.
Thank you, Shadow. That's exactly it: why get stuck on what once was, when so many fresh and exciting experiences are waiting for us just around the corner?
Hi Alexys,
You said it: "Life, love and the pursuit of happiness." It doesn't get better than that!
Eric said to me once that I was "always looking at life through the rearview mirror."
I was stuck in the past (particularly the hurts) and sadly found I preferred the stasis to the risk that pursuing happiness always requires. Pain was comfy and effortless while happiness was sketchy and asked too much.
With Eric's help and infinite patience, I began to see that happiness was a choice and that while we do not always have control over the things that happen to us, we do have 100% control over how we choose to react.
We can light up a room or we can burn it down. I make a choice to light it up.
Great post :))
Thanks for sharing your story, Karen. I agree with you (and Eric) whole heartedly. It's hard to do sometimes, and for many of us it requires conscious effort, but focussing on the good stuff rather than that which brings us down really is in itself the reward.
I love your analogy of choosing to light up a room rather than burn it down - and you do, by the way, make things better with your presence, as I know first hand!
What is the past and the future are illusions and you are only ever in the present? To pose questions invites reaching deeper within to acess inner knowing. It flows unconditionally along with unwavering love.
Hi Liara - I think to some extent, we could consider the past and future as illusions. Our perceptions of past events change over time along with us. And the future never really exists because it hasn't happened. We are only ever really in the present. That's why we need to pay more attention to the here and now, and not so much on the what could've, would've, should've beens. That way we are free to focus on creating the best life experiences possible.
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