A strong positive attitude to your past will give you confidence in your future, so it’s important if you do have a negative attitude to your past that you try and reduce this.
How?
- Think through some significant events in your life and, for which one decide what the main benefit of them has been or can be for you.
- Think about people who have done you wrong and mentally forgive them. A great way to do this is to write down on a slip of paper the injustice you feel. Then, take those slips and burn them or thrown them away. Say to your self: these injustices are in my past, they are gone.
- Call someone you have lost touch with and tell them what you miss about having them as a friend. And call some people you are still in touch with and tell them how much you love and appreciate them. Start with anyone you live with.
- Start a gratitude journal and, each evening, write down one thing from that day that you are grateful for.
- Spend time with people who are positive about the past and optimistic about the future. Spending time with other people who complain about things and who are bitter about your past events can only toxify your own life.
Can you change?
There is a wonderful Cherokee story about a tribal elder who was walking with his grandson.
“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”
He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
Whether or not it’s your first time hearing this story, it serves as an important reminder of the power we have over our experiences and emotions.
How do you approach things in your life? What is your first reaction to everything that comes your way?
Take a deep breath, smile, handle your present with confidence (you are never alone) and face your future without fear – you got this.
*more great ideas about dealing with your past and how to approach your future in Brilliant Time Management by Mike Clayton