Are You Going to Let Your Past Create Your Future?

We tend to live in the past or in the future.  If we don’t commit to the present moment we rob ourselves of the respect that our dreams deserve.

Is The Past Going To Determine Our Future?

by Leigh Burton

We all have hopes and dreams that the future will hold a place for us to be happy and free from that which we know makes us uncomfortable. We have hope for our children to experience life with every opportunity to have greatness and love in everything they have and do. We dream that we will make it to a later stage in life where we will know peace and that what we had accomplished along the way will have been enough to leave a meaningful legacy.

That’s what we do…DREAM.

Dreams are healthy in that they give us something to look forward to, something to work towards and, every step of the way we analyze our position so that we can feel our efforts are fruitful. This lends to our desire to inspire others to do the same and is an integral part of continually moving forward.

However, we all have a past. While there are pleasant memories for all of us, there are those that muster shame and the knowledge of what we are sure we don’t want in our future. These are experiences that show us who we don’t want to be and what we don’t want to witness others experience. These are the moments that remain integral in who each of has become, in that they were a part in shaping what we desire.

The past is filled with memories that we may fear letting go of. If we aren’t the person, who survived a situation or circumstance then who are we? If we are not the person who grew through a shameful experience, then who are we? The alternative is to be a person with a fresh start among all of the resources we have collected through the past. We all have the freedom to be who we dream of, free of the chains that keep us in moments gone by. While we can’t rid ourselves of where we have been, we can respect it for what it is. A memory. By standing on top of the circumstances that have fueled the dreams we have for an alternative life, we permit ourselves to be free of the suffering our past has allowed.

That’s what we want…PEACE and FREEDOM.

The only moment that will ever impact our future is the one we are in right now. With a blink of an eye, it too becomes a moment gone by and is filed in the cabinet of the past. Each moment will come upon us with the opportunity to understand that it is the past moments future and if we do not choose to embrace it with the gratitude of moving past another segment of the story that once was, we will forever be using our past to define who we are instead of who we want to become. We must offer respect for the lessons and blessings but, we need to close the cabinet door with faith in what we dream. This is the ultimate sacrifice and offering to not just ourselves but those we share our lives with.

To witness a person standing on their story, rather than in it, is nothing short of inspiring. To see the riches that come as a result is motivation to do the same. We can teach each other to have peace with the past and the freedom to dream of the future. A continuous practice of allowing a deep connection to the present moment offers the respect that our dreams in the past deserve. To honor the dream is to permit the freedom to continue through life without it being an argument with ourselves.

That is what we should do…LOVE LIFE.

We are all entitled to an opinion and a desire but, to allow it to define who we are in this moment will only rob us of the greatness that our dreams would otherwise allow.

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 About the Author

Leigh Burton is an Author, International Speaker, NLP Practitioner, Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, Emotional Health Coach, Acceptance Commitment Therapist, an expert in letting go, and a lover of life.  www.leighburton.com