Are You Living in the past

Are You Living in The Past? Stop and Start Making Your Future Brighter

Have you ever been told to stop living in the past? People will often say this to provide encouraging advice about moving on with your life. It sounds easy, but does it? 

Although it sounds easy enough, it can be exceedingly difficult, especially if there are deep-seated reasons behind living in the past. Significant past experiences and memories, such as the death of a loved one, a painful breakup, traumatic childhood, etc., can be contributing factors as to why you can’t simply and easily move on with life. See 7 Ways to Let Go and Live a Happy Life.

Though, you may be holding on to things that are no longer relevant.

If you cannot let go of the past, you will not be able to fully appreciate the beauty of the present. The hardest part of any change is making the decision and starting.

The first step is some quiet and healthy self-reflection.

Pause for a while and contemplate your current life and its associated feelings, compared to what they could be. Without your active effort, things may improve terribly slowly. You can act and make space for a new happier life.

Here is how to move forward.

Ways to Effectively Let Go of The Past

Focus on the present — focus, focus, focus.

Stop reliving the past and move on. No matter what you do, you cannot undo or remake the past, no matter how much you wish. Rather, what you can do is to make the present day the best. Live as if it is your last. You will have less time to think about the past if you actively focus on the present.

If you are too fixated on previous negative happenings, there will be no room for positivity. This is entirely a choice you can and have to make - whether to continue hurting yourself or to embrace the new day, potentially full of joy.

Decide to let it all go and do this with conviction.

To make it work, commit yourself to “move on” and “let it go.” If you don’t, things will continue to go in circles and could end you up getting stuck in the past, again. Make a decision that will empower you and your future, commit to it, and act. Do not think things you want to do are impossible, impossible is just a word.

Make room for forgiveness.

It may be hard to forget what has happened in the past and the bad behaviors of the people involved in it. Getting past resentment and forgiving others is a vital step. More to the point, you need the healing that forgiving another brings.

Physically distance yourself.

Do not remain attached to an environment (including people) that keeps you trapped in your current circumstances and mindset. It is emotionally healthy to distance yourself from a situation or individual that is causing you to be depressed. Psychological or physical distance can help with the “letting go” process by virtue of not being constantly reminded of anything that hinders your progress.

Acceptance is the key.

Accepting your past experiences and the people that have been part of it will help you in moving on. You must remember that none of these need to define who you are. Practice the art of acceptance, remake yourself, and set yourself free.

Be accountable for your own happiness.

Your feelings are yours alone; you cannot blame someone for them. If you do, you are allowing someone to completely take over you, at least emotionally. You will feel a huge sense of happiness and empowerment once you take responsibility for your feelings and emotions. Your attitude plays a bigger role in this than any external elements. There is an old song called Be Happy. It is important to be happy as you want to be. 

Evaluate your emotions.

When assessing your emotions, you need to know what they are bringing to you. Reminisce if there are happy, positive thoughts there. But if dredging the past causes negativity that will adversely affect your here and now, do not dwell on it. Replace it with a better thought.

Make some contributions.

Going the extra mile to help others can make you feel warm and happy on the inside. It is one of the best ways to align with the real you. Brighten yours, and another day by offering a smile, saying a simple hello, or giving a donation to a worthwhile cause. These simple acts of kindness can help you set your perspective on a brighter path and can have a lasting impact on others and yourself.

Hopefully, this can help you with your “moving on” phase. Any effort you make will all be worth it. You can do it - cheer for a brighter present and future and get away from living in the past. See Happy as you want to be.

Time to act and quit living in the past

Science confirms that a diet rich in whole, plant-based foods can help you live to the fullest and still get adequate protein. In fact, a growing number of physicians advocate a completely plant-based diet for many of their patients who suffer from diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Check out these great sources:

Plant-Based Nutrition, 2E (Idiot’s Guides),

Nutrition Facts: The Truth About Food and

The Forks Over Knives Plan

Forks over Knifes, a simple plan that focuses on hearty comfort foods and does not involve portion control or worrying about obtaining single nutrients like protein and calcium.

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