“We need the courage to learn from our past and not live in it.” – Sharon Salzberg
What purpose does your past serve as it relates to working towards your goals and the person you want to become? For some of us it may look like the top of a mountain we are striving to get back to. For some of us it’s a place we would prefer to not ever visit again. For some of us it may be the motivation and drive that keeps us moving forward. Regardless of what your past looks like, how can we use it in a way that is beneficial for our current and future selves?
The quote from this week comes from Sharon Salzberg, who is a world renowned mindfulness teacher, and known for her work with a type of practice known as loving kindness. That can sound a little bit touchy feely for some of us, but it allows us to let our guard down and experience what it’s like to accept and love ourselves. I think we can all agree that we tend to be our own worst critics and are hardest on ourselves when it comes to how we look, our jobs and careers, our behaviors, and the list goes on and on and on. So what does Sharon mean when she says, “we need the courage to learn from our past and not live in it?”
All of us have a different story that has shaped and molded us to this point in our lives. How you think about that story, and how you allow it to impact your current life is up to you. Sharon is encouraging us to look and learn from what has happened in our lives so far, and then have the ability to live presently, and not get stuck in the past. Whether the past is a highlight reel of some great times, or a movie we never want to watch again, all of those experiences have led you to this point right now. Learn from it, grow from it, allow it to push you forward, and send a little love and kindness to yourself for where you are today because of it.
Let’s fully embrace this moment, learning from the past, and approach the future with curiosity and excitement!
