Everyone has dealt with some sort of pain in the past.
Whether it’s a negative experience, a bad habit they overcame, an unhealthy relationship, or something else. Hurt from our past tends to weigh us down and create unnecessary baggage in our lives.
This baggage can hold us back from living life to the fullest and being truly happy. It can hold us back from amazing opportunities and/or amazing people.
And the more you pay attention to the baggage, the more you feed it and the bigger it grows. It’s a harmful cycle that needs to be broken.
Don’t get me wrong, it can be SO hard to let go of the past. It can be painful to try to move on. This hurt is a part of us. It helped shape us into who we are and that’s actually pretty important.
But you know what? It’s even more painful to keep holding onto hurt from the past.
And here are 5 reasons why you need to let go of hurt from the past and embrace the possibilities of the future:
YOU CAN’T CHANGE THE PAST.
We spend so much of our precious time thinking about the past when we could be using it to live in the present moment. No matter how much you worry about, think about, or get upset about the past, nothing is going to change it. All you can do is either learn from it and try to move on with your life or continue to think about it and get even more upset.
YOU’LL BE MUCH HEALTHIER.
When you’re unhappy, it can quite literally make you sick. Constant stress has been proven to affect different systems of our bodies. Stress can affect our heart health, our bodily functions, diseases, and even simple illnesses like a cold. So the sooner you let go of stress caused by past hurt that you can’t even control anymore, the sooner you’ll be a healthier you.
YOU’LL OPEN UP YOUR LIFE TO AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES.
As you let go of the past, you’re creating space for amazing things and people to enter your life! A lot of times, when we’re hurt or still hung up on painful things from our past, we close ourselves off to the future and all of the great opportunities it holds for us. The world is full of awesome people, things, and experiences. If you want to enjoy them, you’ve gotta move forward!
YOU’LL BE SO MUCH MORE GRATEFUL.
Gratitude is super important. I swear it’s one of the greatest happiness boosters ever! It’s hard to be grateful for what you have in front of you when you’re constantly looking behind you. When you let go of the sadness, you’ll be able to let in happiness. Instead of being upset about all of the things that have been taken from you, things that have gone wrong, or people who have hurt you, you’ll be happy about all of the wonderful things that are happening to you.
>> You might like: How I Practice Daily Gratitude (Free Printable) <<
YOU CAN LOVE + APPRECIATE YOURSELF BETTER.
So many things from our past shape us into who we are today. If you learn to let go of your past and move forward in life, you’ll appreciate yourself more. You’ll start to embrace your history and realize that although painful things have happened to you, you wouldn’t be who you are today if you hadn’t experienced them. Not only that but letting go also helps you bounce back from future hurt easier!
>> You might like: 11 Simple Ways to Show Yourself Love (Right Now) <<
Is this something you struggle with? How do you feel about this post? Let’s chat in the comments!
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Holding onto the past means reliving the same pain over and over. It’s definitely a self-made prison. But letting go means having the freedom to move forward and experience joy.
This was a good read. The past can be tough but you have to move on to heal.
Your words really resonated with me, and I found your tips and insights incredibly helpful. It’s so important to free ourselves from the weight of past hurts,
It can be hard to do and white these are great tips, for any one who is truly struggling, I highly recommend therapy!
so very true! holding on to all these things simply prevents us from moving forward
It’s important to understand that we live in the present. And the past needs to stay in the past. Sometimes we need to accept our painful past and go on!
Such great advice. You can’t move on if you continue to dwell on the past.
I really like the tips you have provided here and I think they are very helpful. thanks for sharing!
My past does make trusting people harder. But at the same time I can’t let the past dictate future life.
Thank you so much for sharing such a great advice, I really enjoy reading this article
Letting go of things really does help us in so many ways, it’s a positive move for all these reasons
By accepting and forgiving oneself, we can avoid dwelling on the past and instead focus on the present and who we are now.