From time-to-time it is enjoyable and of comfort to reminisce about our past victories and the good ‘ole’ glory days. But too many, especially as we grow older, get so preoccupied with living in the past and replaying these old movies about who we were and what we did, that there is no oxygen or energy left for appreciating who and what we are right now, or for imagining what we can still become. For some, the hooks and guilt of the past refuse to loosen their grip. Like a skipping phonograph, the subconscious mind replays over and over again the painful and disturbing scenes from our past, our misdeeds, our regrets, and our perceived mistakes and injustices, the abuse we suffered at the hands of others, and caused others to suffer at our hands. Unless these anxiety producing images are released, they will haunt our days, shorten our lives, and drown us under suffocating waves of misery and fear.
Perhaps no one can escape their tattered collection of past memories, but there is only so much time and energy in a day, and if there is such a thing as a sin, it would be wasting our precious time punishing or pleasuring ourselves by conjuring up ghosts of our former selves. As powerful and real as the feelings these by-gone images conjure up, they no longer serve a constructive purpose, nor do shadows represent who we are now. They are but distracting powerless illusions leading us towards the unreal, light waves from a distant star long dead, nothing more than ripples in time, echoes from events long gone. Our past, no matter how corrupt, has forged us into the best version of ourselves in the present. The wise among us understand this and know that one who allows the past to rule their future, will not be able to live freely in the present, for only through the act of letting of the past go, we will be free.
To let go of what was, we first must willingly and lovingly surrender to what is. In a world where it is not possible to know what tomorrow brings, savor each drawn breath and cling tightly to our loved ones, as if it is our last moment on Earth. Whether impoverished or rich, joyous or sorrowful, all experiences bestowed by the Universe, are purposeful gifts of infinite spiritual value, each to be cherished and contemplated, each leading towards a greater good, and a deeper divine state of humility and grace. Absolute harmony, balance, our true selves, and our Creator will always be found in the center, at the intersecting midpoint, where the past and future collide into the ‘now’. Accept and embrace that beyond life’s façade, time, nothing that ‘was’ is ever real, only this moment, only love is real. When we are ready to serve selflessly and share our love with others, each Soul will awaken to this truth!
Comments