Let Go: How To Release Yourself From The Past And Move Forward With Your Life

Are you ready to let go and release yourself from the past so that you can move forward with your life?

A toxic relationship, a painful memory, a bad experience… these are all things that people struggle to let go of. Have you ever wondered what the payoff is of dwelling on situations that are long gone?

In many ways, there is a comfort in holding onto past hurt. Unfortunately, not letting go of the past has no real benefit to your life.

Today is the day to get unstuck and break free from all of the baggage that is limiting you.

Watch the video below where I talk about the importance of living in the now:

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A lot of people don't know how to let go of the past.

Do you find yourself talking a lot about your past? You may not even be consciously aware that you are doing it. I hate to break it to you, but there is a strong likelihood that your current limitations in life are the direct result of past stories that you are still attached to. What is your story that is keeping you stuck? Consider these statements that some people make on a daily basis:

“I can’t get close to someone new because my heart has been broken too many times…”

“It's impossible to pursue my dreams because I've failed too many times in the past…”

“I can't trust people because I've been betrayed…”

If you've ever fallen victim to these limiting beliefs, you aren't alone. The stories that you tell yourself filter your reality, meaning that what you believe, you create. For example, if you think that you aren't smart enough to build an online business, you won't. You will constantly find reasons for why you can't succeed. The times that you were hurt, the times that you failed, and the times that you felt small and unworthy of success… they do not exist at this moment.

If you keep running these disempowering thoughts on autopilot, it will take up all of your mental space. When you speak about your past as if it was still a part of who you are, it's hard for a more empowering version of your best self to shine through. In the words of Henry David Thoreau, “It’s not what you look at that matters; it’s what you see.”

In my work, I see a lot of people use their past experiences as rationalizations for their current behaviors.

They end up going in circles and ruminating about what happened. They become powerless to their own thoughts. Not surprisingly, they don't end up moving forward. Psychological studies state that rumination seems to be correlated to “cognitive consciousness.”

These types of people are aware of their negative thoughts, but think about past experiences over and over again, to a point where their thoughts create their own reality. The more you invest energy into the past, the less energy that you have to devote to the present moment.

In his book, Letting Go: The Pathway To Surrender, David R. Hawkins says that “It takes energy to hold down our feelings. As these feelings are relinquished, the energy that had been holding down the negativity is now freed for constructive uses.” 

Look, we've all got baggage. Even the people that say they don't, usually, do. It's not comfortable to admit that you are holding onto past hurts. However, sometimes the only way to get back to the present moment is to get real with yourself so that you can make better choices in life.

If you've ever let something go, you know how amazing it feels. If letting go is so good for you, then why do so many people struggle to do it? Letting go means having the courage to come face-to-face with painful emotions that you have purposefully hidden. It means that you've got to be willing to challenge your beliefs, face your greatest fears, and change your life. That's a lot to take on.

If you can't stop ruminating about your past experiences, it's time to recognize these behavioral patterns and take action to change them. Here are 4 ways that you can let go of the past.

1. Allow Yourself To Feel Negative Emotions

A lot of people don't allow themselves to feel anything. Instead of facing their deepest wounds, they approach them with resistance. They think that, if they ignore them, they will magically go away. Unfortunately, this couldn't be farther from true. 

Nobody wants to feel pain. If you've been hurt in the past, it's normal to want to run away from anything or anyone that triggers similar emotions. Here's the reality… letting yourself feel bad is critical to feeling better. As someone once said, “The more you hide your feelings, the more they show. The more you deny your feelings, the more they grow.” 

Negative emotions aren't negative. Rather, it's merely your perception of emotions, like anger, sadness or fear, that make you feel bad. How you were conditioned to express your emotions as a child can color your behaviors in adulthood. Maybe you were taught not to express sadness when you were young or were told that vulnerability was a weakness. If so, you need to realize that these are just stories. They aren't based in reality, even though your mind may tell you that they are.

Your emotions, both good and bad, exist to teach you something. You have to be willing to listen to what they are trying to tell you if you want to release them. Give yourself permission to feel the emotional intensity of everything. Don't hide behind a mask of your true self.

Be vulnerable and allow yourself to sit with difficult emotions. Cry, punch a pillow, dance, go to therapy… whatever it takes to get clarity around why you feel the way that you do so that you feel empowered to let go of toxic energy.

2. Forgive Yourself And Others

Forgiveness is a choice. It's a choice to both give and receive it. If someone has wronged you, of course, it will cause you pain. However, it's up to you how long you want that pain to linger. A lot of people hold onto anger for too long and refuse to let go. Instead, they let past misfortunes negatively affect their future relationships.

As a result, they fall into victimhood and blame the world and others for their problems, when in actuality, they haven't healed themselves. How would it feel if you were able to forgive someone that has hurt you?

Forgiving doesn't mean that you have to forget what happened to you, nor that you have to be friends with someone again. Rather, it's something that you need to do for your own well-being and happiness. Forgiveness is the best way to finally release yourself from the weight of everything. As Catherine Ponder says, “When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.”

When it comes to forgiving yourself, this is the ultimate form of self-love.

It takes courage to look at yourself in the mirror, drop your ego and say, “It's okay. You are human and made a mistake. I forgive you.” Whatever you've been holding onto that's causing you to have a heavy heart, it's time to let it go.

You don't need to feel guilty anymore. Instead, you need to believe that what is in front of you is far greater than what is behind you. If you never learn how to forgive, you cannot live fully in your power. A life of is suffering is no life at all. Right your wrongs and move forward. End of story.

3. Accept What You Cannot Change 

Have you ever been in a situation where you wondered how you were ever going to get over something and move forward with your life? We've all been here at some point in our lives. In my opinion, it comes down to acceptance. There is freedom in surrendering to what is. By doing so, you make room for what could be, instead of staying stuck in an old story that is getting you nowhere.

In Deepak Chopra’s book, The 7 Laws of Spiritual Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams, he explains that, although we might want things to be different in the future, in the present moment we need to accept things as they are. It's only when we resist change that we end up creating a lot of pain in our lives.

After years of feeling frustrated with things that I couldn't change, I finally realized that nothing was going to get better if I didn't change my thinking. Over time, I developed the habit of looking at whatever happened to me through a positive lens, instead of a negative one. This speaks to the power of positive affirmations. I encourage you to incorporate this ritual into your daily life as a reminder to always talk to yourself in a loving way. 

If you can change your mind, you can change anything.

The only thing that you have control over is your emotional response to life's experiences. You cannot change people, situations, or circumstances. What's done is done. The past is over. All that you can do is reframe your attitude.

True fulfillment only comes when you are willing to accept what is with an open heart. This doesn't mean that you are giving up. Rather, it means that you are choosing to make peace with what has happened to you. Look to the future with hope. That is the truest form of inner power.

4. Re-write Your Story 

Your story is what makes you who you are. How you interpret your life experiences determines the type of life that you live. If you cannot let go of the past, that means that you are stuck in a story that no longer serves you. You choose the beliefs that you hold onto.

The beauty of life is that, at any given moment, you have the power to choose a different narrative. If you don't like your current story, you can re-write it because you are the author. Don't ever allow someone else to have that much power over your choices in life.

The question is, “How do you reprogram a lifetime of stories and repressed memories that drive your actions?” It starts with reframing your story in the positive and taking responsibility for the role that you've played in every circumstance you've faced. 

Think about all of the beautiful gifts that have unfolded in your life as a direct result of things not going as you planned. Life has a funny way of supporting you, even when it doesn't feel like it. Trust the process and look for the silver lining in everything.

Today is the day to let go of the past.

You are never going to live out your true potential in life if you hold onto past hurt. You've already finished those chapters. Now is the time to re-write your story, one that is empowering and uplifting. As someone once said, “You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.” 

Honor the past for what it was. Be grateful for it. However, also have the courage to let it go so that you can move forward with your life. Everything in life has to lead you to this very moment.

What are you ready to let go of?

Do you want to learn cutting-edge strategies for accelerating success and mastering every area of your life? CLICK HERE to join my Life Mastery Accelerator program!