Forget the Past and Be Present

For a while I was concerned that my memory wasn't as good as it used to be - challenging eras of my life that used to feel so significant were becoming fuzzy and distant. I was worried that I was just getting older, maybe there was a deficiency in my diet, lack of sleep, stress, etc.

And then I realized it was because I wasn't living in the past anymore and the things that used to feel so big and occupy so much of my head and heart space had loosened their grip on me.

Now, these times that I used to remember as painful, traumatic, and stagnant I regard as essential, valuable, and formative. They've become lighter and simpler and as such I don't feel their weight pressing on my consciousness the way they used to.

Being totally present is something that I had always wanted to feel but it's stopped being a goal and has become a reality (for the most part, I, of course, still have my moments haha).

I think the process of alleviating ourselves of the burdens of the past is two-fold:

1. Develop an appreciation of challenging past experiences and how they helped us grow, learn, and evolve.

2. Live a deeply passionate life in the present and love ourselves unconditionally for who we are now.

When we do this, we don't have to try to be engaged in the moment, it's something that is an effortless byproduct of being content and centered within ourselves and our life as it exists now.

Plus...the realization that every step of our journey was necessary, even the most difficult and challenging times, transforms any anxiety, worry, or fears of the future.

Then, we get to just be.