Have you ever spent time agonising over something you said or did? If you havem join the club! I get times when i wish I had behaved differently or not said something but the fact is, it’s in the past and no amount of worrying is going to change the outcome.
Life is full of experiences, good and bad and they all teach us something. If you can take the lesson from it, that’s great but then you need to move on. Overthinking the past will lead you to feel miserable and powerless as there is nothing you can do about it.
The past is there to teach us and help us to grow and become better people. It isn’t there for you to beat yourself up and constantly worry about what happened.
Focus on the present moment
The best place to focus your attention is on the here and now. That is where your power lies. We only have this moment to make decisions that will shape our future. We can’t change the past and we can’t predict the future. Focusing on the present moment is the place where we shape our futures with knoweldge we have gained from the past.
See the past as a stepping stone to the future. let go of misdemeanours and acknowledge that no one always says and does the correct thing all the time. Besides, how boring would life be if that was the case?
Keep your sense of humour and don’t take life too seriously
It’s helpful to see the funny side of life. Everyone has a funny story to tell of a time in the past when they embarrassed themselves or did something silly. See it as part of yur colourful history and give yourself a break.
Mandy X
Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
