How to Move Forward for Good When the Past Weighs You Down

Have you ever looked back on your life and realized that the events in your life have brought you to this point in your life? Or maybe you look back constantly and have trouble moving forward. Maybe you have some resentment with someone or maybe even yourself for actions that affected you.

Either way you view your past we all know that our past is a part of us good or bad. And we have absolutely no power to change what has already happened.

Personally, some of the tougher parts of my life were when

my step father passed away after a long battle with alcoholism, when we miscarried in our second pregnancy, and when I had postpartum after having my first baby.

The things I’ve experienced in my life have given me:

1. Stronger faith in God – Knowing that I can call on God to guide me through the dark times when life gets too overwhelming.
2. The ability to ask for help – This was so tough for me to do but when I ask for help or just talk to someone about what I am feeling it really helps to shed light on the problem.
3. Helped me choose a great husband – Not having a father figure that was there consistently helped me really evaluate what I wanted for my future marriage and my family.
4. Be the change – Whatever hard times you’ve experienced in the past be the change. Make sure they don’t happen to your kids or others future generations.

These experiences and many others, both good and bad, helped me grow into the person God wants me to be. They helped me be more compassionate toward others that are going through something similar. It has even given me a testimony to share with others.

“Grief can be the garden of compassion. If you keep your heart open through everything, your pain can become your greatest ally in your life’s search for love and wisdom.” – Rumi

So many people go through far worse than what I’ve experienced and some do not. It’s really what we decide to do with our past that will really mold us into the people we become. The past is the past whether it was 10 years ago or yesterday. We make the decision on whether we want our lives to stay on that same path or if we want to take control and change the course.

This is easier said than done and can be one of the toughest things we can do. It’s hard to change your mindset when someone has told you in your childhood or even in adulthood that you aren’t capable of pursuing a passion or accomplishing a goal, because you’re not smart enough, not driven enough, not pretty enough, not serious enough etc. But you know what? Just because someone speaks it one time or 1,000 times it doesn’t make it true. The moment it BECOMES true is when YOU believe it.

Let your past push and motivate you to want more for yourself and the others around you, instead of it being an excuse or hindering you to move forward and grow from it. If we are not careful, these moments in our past have a way of wrapping around our hearts like weeds.

Even the toughest and most trying times in our lives have a silver lining.

I know without a shadow of a doubt that everything I’ve experienced has lead me to this exact moment. To be sitting here writing this post and sharing this with you.

If we are forunate enough, we’ll wake up tomorrow morning and have the decision to look back or forward. Which one will you choose?