Maybe It’s Time To Let Go Of The Baggage
Most people who make New Year’s resolutions don’t keep them. Every year we tell ourselves it’s time to move on, to change, to leave negative people and influences in the past, and yet we rarely follow through. We wonder if it is even possible to let go of the things that hold us back?
Yes, it certainly is!
The first step is to simply make the decision that it’s time to let go of all the old baggage in your life. To do this we must be completely honest about what’s really holding us back and why it’s so difficult to let go. This is sometimes best done with the help of a coach or mentor, such as a therapist, spiritual advisor or trusted friend, who will listen and guide you objectively.
Until we have a true understanding of all our baggage and our own part in it, it will never go away. We must also be gentle and accepting as we travel this path. The past can never be undone, but it can be learned from and it can help us move into a better future.
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results each time.” It’s within our power to change negative thinking patterns and habits. Good habits take at least a month to wire into our brains. Start with affirmations, practice better self-care, and stop obsessing about things you can’t change or control. Over time, you’ll find yourself making better decisions that aren’t tainted by the past.
Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering ‘it will be happier’ ~ Alfred Tennyson
Holding on to the past can have a significant impact on our present and future. It often leads to feelings of resentment, bitterness, and even a sense of being stuck in life. The emotional baggage from past experiences can weigh heavily on you and hinder personal growth and happiness. It can lead to a negative mindset that affects decisions and relationships.
Letting go of the past can bring a sense of liberation and peace. It allows us to embrace the present moment, promote positive emotions, and create a space for personal growth. By releasing the grip of past grievances, one can experience a newfound clarity and freedom to pursue their goals without being held back by past setbacks. Letting go provides an opportunity to open up to new experiences and to forge healthier relationships.
It is possible to release unhealthy behaviors, objects, and people in a productive way. Take a critical inventory of who and what you really need in your life and whether they are a positive influence. If they’re not, it may be time to move on.
An often overlooked part of moving on is forgiveness, of yourself and others. No one is perfect, and everyone alive has been wronged, as well as wronged someone else. The best thing we can do when it comes to harmful words and actions is to learn from them. Everything we ever experience has meaning, even the times when we feel the lowest. As we forgive, the pain associated with past wrongs begins to dissipate, and it’s easier to move forward without all that baggage weighing us down. We may even find that a broken relationship can be repaired.
Each year’s regrets are envelopes in which messages of hope are found for the New Year ~ John R. Dallas Jr.
Self-compassion and self-forgiveness are essential to letting go of the past. Treat yourself with the same kindness you would extend to a friend facing similar struggles. Recognizing that everyone makes mistakes and experiences hardships is fundamental to self-compassion. In addition, mindfulness exercises and self-affirmations can help foster self-compassion and a more forgiving and gentle attitude toward the most important person in your life: yourself.
The most effective way to let go of the past is to simply learn to live in the present. Every day brings new opportunities and the chance to create a better life. Positive thoughts and actions will bring us more positivity, and the same is true for negativity. So, always be mindful!
With the New Year upon us, and the past few years having been so unusually difficult for all of us, it’s the perfect opportunity to discover a new person underneath all the old baggage. Anger, hurt, spite and envy can be replaced with serenity, joy, passion and love. It’s time to stop carrying around all that baggage from the past and live for a brighter future. Once you get rid of it, you’ll wonder why you ever carried it around in the first place.
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