Tips for Letting Go of the Past

It can be difficult to move on after dealing with toxic people, difficult situations, and unhealthy relationships. These past experiences can hold us back and prevent us from living in the moment. Our wounds and fear shape our thoughts, actions, and behaviors, keeping us from reaching those positive experiences.

When we have negative past experiences, it is easy to use them as an excuse for why we are behaving a certain way. This could be remembering a cheating ex’s behavior and projecting those worries and fears on a current partner. In our minds, we do this because we are trying to protect ourselves from any future pain, and we are trying to see the signs we missed the last time we were in a relationship. And though there are common red flags to look out for, we have to try not to look at our new partner through the lens of our past relationship. They are different people; this is a different relationship and what happens in this relationship will also be different. It’s easy to spend our time and energy mentally reliving the past, but we have to detach ourselves from that to be able to grow and focus on the present.

Now, letting go of the past does not only mean letting go of a certain experience or a negative situation. Letting go of the past can also mean letting go of past expectations, attachments, ideals, and even positive past experiences. This one can…