The Past is Only a Thought
and thoughts can be changed.
Do you take time to reflect on what’s happened weeks in the past, a year ago or more and get lost in the past?
We are easily consumed by our thoughts of how the past should have been different. The past is often filled with regret, sadness, and anxiety. It is possible to think of the past with positive, beautiful, and peaceful thoughts. It will take some time to adjust your beliefs but it is possible.
Write down your past stressors and think in terms of primary areas: career, family, money, and health. The next step is to write down any positive takeaway from this past experience. At any time, did this past stress bring joy?
Think about what changed and are you able to bring back the joy? If not, what new perspective are you willing to try to lessen the stress? Hold on to the value this stress brought to you when it was joyful. For a moment, feel the burden and the attachment to the negative thought. When you feel the pain, replace the thought with the past joy. This will take practice but you will be able to feel the stress as only a tender memory, rather than the pain.
Sweep, declutter, move through what you’re holding onto. This means to think of the past, and find the gratitude in the experience. No matter what the pain, there is a lesson that we gained. This lesson continues with us into the next phase, the next transition. Think of the cherished memories, the thoughts that lift you up, bring a smile, and a wish for more.
Our habits can change with intention. It is time to let go of what holds you back, causing stress and anxiety. Know that it is in your control to bring into thought, what you really want.
A beautiful story is of a client whose father would always pick up coins off of the street. As a child, she did not like her dad picking up all of the “dirty coins” but he would encourage her to not overlook them. Now that he has passed, when she sees a coin, she remembers complaining to her Dad. Through the above exercise, she now picks up loose coins and saves them. Her new perspective came through thinking that when she sees a coin, it’s when her Dad is with her. She thinks immediately to her thought at the moment she saw the coin. She realizes it’s when she is thinking of something that her Dad was good at or when she had his support. It’s no longer a “dirty coin” but his wisdom and strength guiding her.