Tuesday Thoughts to Ponder...

I signed up at a motivational website ages ago, and they send me "weekly powerful questions". I have often thought of unsubscribing, but whenever I do, I will get a question that really hits home with me. Like this one:

"In what ways do I allow the past 
to steal my present?"

I still dwell on things from my past and allow them to affect my life now; in effect, stealing my joy of the present from me. 

I know this about myself and it is something that I am working on this new year. I am working on forgiving and letting go of the pain from the past. 

Interesting article from Psychology Today:

"The events of the past exist nowhere else but in our memories, which give rise to the feelings and thoughts we have about them. By themselves, of course, events are neutral. We place judgments on them based on how they affected us, rendering good judgments about those things which benefited us and bad judgments about those things which harmed us. It's the feelings that result from those judgments that remain with us, not the events themselves. And though we can't change our memories of events, we can change whether or not they harmed or benefited us."

"How then can we break free of the past? By using it as fuel for growth in the present. If an event from our past remains painful to think about, we should understand that pain as an indication we have unfinished business—not with whoever or whatever else was involved in the event itself, but with ourselves."

 And so I continue with my journey ... more thoughts to ponder as I try and figure this all out. Thank you for all your support and insights! I appreciate any and all help I can get...

"It is the act of forgiveness that opens up the only possible way
to think creatively about the future at all."

~ Father Desmond Wilson