How to Let Go of the Past

Someone hurts us or we have a negative experience. Rather than brush away the pain, many of us get stuck emotionally, lick our wounds, allow ourselves to become afraid. Time passes and it becomes harder to move forward. Before we know it, years have passed. To become more fulfilled in the present and more excited about the future, many of us need to learn to let go of the past.

Instructions

• 1

  Journal your thoughts and feelings about how poorly certain people treated you or what events occurred in your life you felt were unfair. If you're not good with words, but enjoy art, then draw or paint your pain. Next, write or draw your intention to stop the unfairness dialog so you can start to let go of the past and move on.

• 2

  Meditate daily. Clear your mind of the negative chatter and concentrate on how you can grow from the pain you have survived. Reflect on the positive aspects of moving on, such as how letting go of the past opens up room for better things to come into your life.

• 3

  Choose an empty object, like a water bottle, butter container, anything you won't mind parting with. Place slips of paper inside on which you've scribbled the things you can't let go, like people, places, things, emotions, an unhealthy habit, whatever you feel is holding you back. Then, take the container out to your yard and bury it. From then on, whatever you wrote on the paper no longer exists and you can't hold on to what doesn't exist.

• 4

  Work with a counselor or life coach to overcome obstacles or mental health issues that are keeping you from being able to address your problem areas. Armed with newfound knowledge shared with you by a professional, you can start looking forward to moving away from the past for good.