Leave the past in the past. I’m sure that you’ve heard this before, but this is one of those things that are easier said than done. So, how do you let go of the painful memories from your past, when it’s all that you seem to hold onto? Well, in this blogpost, I’m going to share with you, how to let go of your past completely and forever. If you’ve been struggling to let go of your past, read on to find out how to finally live a life free from painful memories of the past.
Practise the Ho’oponopono technique
I can see you rolling your eyes at this, ‘what is this woman going on about?’ ‘Is that even a word?’ What is Ho’oponopono, and how can it help you to let go of your past? According to an article on https://hooponoponomiracle.com, Ho’oponopono is said to be one of the most effective and powerful spiritual healing techniques. It’s an ancient Hawaiian forgiveness technique and self-healing practice. It frees you from painful memories of the past, forgiveness of yourself and others, and shifts the way you feel about yourself. I came across the Ho’oponopono technique when I was searching for answers to rid myself of painful memories. It’s quite a simple yet effective way to practise self-love, self-compassion, and forgiveness, not only towards others, but more importantly towards yourself. This is how it works: sit in a quiet room, still your mind, and repeat the following mantra: ‘I am sorry’. ‘Please forgive me’. ‘Thank You’. ‘I love you’. This mantra of the Ho’oponopono technique was developed by Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len and it has reportedly helped many people rid themselves of painful memories and trauma, as well as enable them to have compassion for themselves. This mantra is not something that you can say once, and never say again, it’s not magic, but with consistency in saying it, I guarantee you that you’ll finally begin to let go of your past and start loving yourself for the person you are today.
Practise mindfulness
Focus on the present, that’s essentially what mindfulness is. You can’t be mindful of your current life if you’re busy ruminating on your past. The two just don’t go together. Practising mindfulness is not some woo woo mystical thing, in fact it’s essential for your mental health, in a world where there are so many distractions. When you focus on what is, instead of what was, it puts you in a mindset of being mindful. Here’s how you can practise mindfulness as a technique: go into a room and choose a single object in the room, set a timer, and focus on the object for 5 minutes, observe its texture, shape, and colour, feel it if you need to. This technique helps to rid your mind of any distractions or rumination of the past and keeps your focus on the present moment. Schedule time each week to practise this mindfulness technique, increase the time to one minute each week, and watch how your mental health changes for the better. Too many times, we allow ourselves to be distracted by our phones, social media, the news, and quite frankly, things that are insignificant to our lives. When was the last time you took some time out to be mindful of your surroundings? Fill your life with activities that are important and beneficial to you, practise the mindfulness technique at least once a week, and you’ll see a big difference in the way you relate to the world, and most importantly to yourself. Your mindset will take on a whole new level of thinking-and being.
Write your past self a forgiveness letter
Words are powerful. I am a firm believer that words carry life. Afterall, in the beginning was the word, and the word was God. One of the most effective and powerful ways for you to let go of your past, is to write a letter of forgiveness to yourself. Tell your past self, how sorry you are for treating her the way you did, because you did not know better. Tell her that you forgive her for her mistakes and misjudgements, for her inadequacies and lack of knowledge. Tell her whatever you want her to know, she’s listening. Don’t hold anything back. You may find that writing yourself a forgiveness letter is therapeutic, and you may release emotions in the form of crying, let it all out. When you’re finished with writing the letter, burn it. Watch it slowly burn as you release her-your past self. Make sure that you’re burning the letter in a safe area (safety is always first). When you’re done with burning the letter, you’ll feel a sense of calm. You could repeat this as many times as you wish. The magic is in the consistency. You may need to write several letters before you’re able to finally let go of that past girl you used to be, it’s OK, take your time, you’ll get there.
Create positive ‘I am’ affirmations
Can I tell you a secret? The fact is, I’ve created personal ‘I am’ affirmations, and they’ve gotten me through some of my most difficult times. Affirmations are like little soldiers fighting your battles. They are the boost you need when you’re feeling down, there’s just something about positive affirmations that give you the oomph you need. Affirmations can be used for any era of your life-both the present and past. But since, this blog post is about letting go of your past, I’ll focus on positive affirmations that you can use to help you to let go of your past. Some of the affirmations that you can use (and what I’ve used) are: ‘I am grateful for my past self, but now it’s time to let her go’. ‘I am ready and capable of moving on with my life’. ‘I am attracting great things and people in my life’. ‘I am not a prisoner of my past’. ‘I am a better person because of my past experiences and for that I am grateful’. ‘I am a warrior, not a worrier’. Those are just some of the affirmations I use, feel free to use them, or create your own. Repeating positive affirmations daily, that are specifically geared towards tackling the painful memories of your past, is a step in the right direction towards letting go.
Realise that you can’t change the past
Well, that’s obvious, isn’t it? It’s like saying that the sky is blue, right? Well, sometimes, the most obvious things are the things that we don’t do. This is where mindset comes in. Having a positive mindset, such as realising that the past is the past, will save you from having the proverbial headache. But how do you come to the realisation that you can’t change the past? Admittedly, this is not as simple as it seems, and it will take a lot of inner work on your part. If you practise the techniques mentioned in this blog, over time, you’ll wake up one day, and realise that you no longer dwell on the past. But, to get to this point, you’ve got to do the necessary work.
So, now that you’ve read how to let go of the past completely and forever, would you be trying any of the techniques I mentioned? Comment in the comment section and let me know some of the techniques that you’re using, or have used, to help you to let go of the past.
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