Say it loud…
I am free from the shackles of my past
Smart People Everywhere
Did you do it? Did you say that affirmation aloud?
Was it a whisper? Barely loud enough for your ears to hear your voice say the words?
Was it a shout? Enthusiastic, angry, determined, committed?
Your past is only a collection of memories — the experiences both positive and negative that taught you valuable life lessons. If you spend too much time there, the shackles of the past only get stronger and stronger.
In order to feel free in the present, you MUST put the past behind you.
Is it easy? Nope — not at all. Our society reveres history — we teach it to our children, wise elders tell us that to forget the past means we’re doomed to repeat it, and we are taught that who we are now is the sum total of what we did in the past.
We can’t get away from our past — or can we?
The events that took place in your past are a part of your history. While you can’t erase them, what works instead is to build and express your confidence in your ability to correct previous mistakes and pave a new road for yourself.
I am wiser and more mature today than I was years ago.
People who believe they have grown
Who you are today is a collection of the pieces of your past — they fit together to form a stronger and wiser you, but they are not all that you are.
Let go of the hurt that some of those pieces have caused you. Keep the lessons you learned, but don’t let the past blot out the lesson by reminding you of the pain. Don’t keep scratching at those scars.
I’m betting that you’ve learned lots of lessons from your past. I’m also betting that you took steps to move forward, grow and make way for new experiences. Have you forgiven yourself for the mistakes you made? No? Do it now…
I forgive myself for my past mistakes and work to make better choices today and every day.
Affirmation to Forgive one’s past mistakes and bad choices
Accept that even though you had a rough beginning, you are worthy of love and success. One of the principles of my faith affirms the “inherent worth and dignity of every human being.” That means that without doing anything else but existing, you have worth and dignity. You don’t have to earn it — it’s yours because you ARE.
So, what’s your next step? Try this: Set an intention to focus on your future and spend your time planning and acting on the next steps you’ll take to live your life without regrets. Affirm that you are free to live for yourself — not your parents, your friends, your children, or your partner.
Get excited about the road that lies ahead of you. Give yourself the freedom to pursue new experiences with confidence knowing that there are unlimited opportunities ahead of you.
Leave the past behind you — keep the lessons, but let the pain and regret go. It’s a ball-and-chain around your ankles and will keep you from moving forward.
Onward — to the life you deserve to live! Affirm it, take action to manifest it, and keep on moving forward until you reach your goal.
Affirmations to Reclaim Control from the Past
I accept the experiences of my past and they have no power over me.
I work through negative memories and break their hold over me.
I forgive my past self for the mistakes I have made.
I am strong because of my past experiences.
I have found peace from my past and I am prepared to move forward.
I am bigger than my experiences and memories.
I deserve to find peace from my past.
The key to my future is making peace with my past.
I am strong enough to break free from the past to create a better life.
…
Originally published at https://diannemdaniels.com on September 20, 2022.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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White Fragility: Talking to White People About Racism | Escape the “Act Like a Man” Box | The Lack of Gentle Platonic Touch in Men’s Lives is a Killer | What We Talk About When We Talk About Men |
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Photo credit: Marco Bianchetti on Unsplash