The Past Is the Past: Accept, Forgive, and Let Go - Daily Rant #29
We all make mistakes and have regrets. Wallowing in the past doesn't change anything. We have to learn to accept it, make peace with it, and move on.
INTRODUCTION
Dear reader, this is my daily rant, meant for myself and not for you. It’s random, unfiltered and messy. My reality is not your reality. I write these thoughts with the intention to process ideas better myself and mold my mind to my liking, and, with it my world. I share them with you in the hope they may be useful to you in some way. If you’re here, there’s a reason for it.
They have helped me beyond words to find inner peace, connect with the all, improve my relationships, remove mental blocks, heal, and alter my reality in more ways than you could possibly imagine.
My perspective will be different than yours, and that is okay. If you find some ideas interesting and useful, play with them. Build upon them. Ignore and leave out the rest. I would encourage you to make a daily habit of writing such rants according to your perspective, ideas, beliefs, desires, and personality.
Good luck, though you don’t need it.
I’ve made mistakes
I have made so many mistakes. Some I couldn’t have avoided, others I should have known better. I’ve always made mistakes, but these recent ones are just asinine! Still, what was done was done. There is nothing I can do about it now, no matter how I would have wanted. I can’t change the past. I can’t go back and make different choices. That train has left the station.
Stop wallowing in past mistakes
I can’t do anything about the past, so there is no point in pondering the infinite “what ifs” and thinking about what I could have done differently. It is what it is. I don’t have a time machine, so all that thinking and wondering is pointless - a gigantic waste of time. I have to forget the past and focus on the now. While I can’t change anything in the past, I can make good decisions today.
I am where I am
I have to accept the facts of my situation. I don’t have any other choice. To deny reality is madness. I must focus on knowing all I can know right now and making the best steps possible going forward. That is all I can ever do.
Let go of all I don’t control.
What do I control? I control my mind, and my choices in the now, the past, or the future are not under my control. The only sane thing to do with things beyond my control is to let them go completely. What was, was. What will be, will be. There is nothing I can do about any of it. All that I control is what I think and do right now.
I can wreck myself by worrying about the future, but it won’t make any difference to what’s coming. I can eat myself with regret or resentment about the past, but again, it won’t change the past. The only way to live a happy life and enjoy lasting inner peace is to accept and let go of everything that is not in my power to change.
I forgive myself
I’ve made mistakes. I’m only human and a deeply flawed one at that. What’s worse is that I keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Sometimes, I feel broken, inable to learn anything. Still, I accept this about myself. I am flawed. I try my best to become better, but results vary.
I did not do everything right, but I did do some things right. It could have been a hell of a lot worse. I am learning. I am getting better. It’s just a slow progression. Fuck it! It is what it is. I’ll get there eventually.
I forgive myself because I have to. I refuse to carry the burden of my past mistakes with me into the future. It will cloud my judgment, ruin my mood, and ensure a much worse decision-making, performance, and experience. I forgive myself because there is nothing else to do.
I also forgive everyone else. I release any and all resentment. I am pure, light, and hold no grudges. I forgive everyone and everything. I just don’t care anymore. What was, was. I’m done thinking about it, bringing it up, and beating myself or others about it. It’s in the past, and there it shall remain. But I’m going forward without that useless baggage!
I feel better as I let go
I feel lighter, unburdened, and relieved. It's like a giant rock has rolled off my chest. I’m done carrying it. Enough is enough. It feels like ease. I can finally breathe easily, and I’m able to think clearly. I am not the same person I was just yesterday. A new day, a new me. The past doesn’t exist. All I have is now. I feel good. I feel relaxed. I feel optimistic.
I am enough just as I am. I love and accept myself completely. I accept my situation and everything that happened as if it was meant to happen and couldn’t have happened any other way. I am exactly where I’m supposed to be. I am exactly who I’m supposed to be. It is what it is, and I am okay with it.
I now make the best decisions going forward
I have learned from my mistakes. I renamed them into successful lessons. They will help me in the future. Everything happens for a reason—I just don’t know what that is. I am better and smarter now. I’ve got this. I have a clear mind. I am open to new information and new opportunities. I make good decisions. I see the whole picture.
I am now free of my past, so I can build a better future. Each new moment is a fresh moment. None of it has anything to do with the past. The people I meet are not the same people I met in the past. The opportunities that present themselves have nothing to do with my past experiences. Every situation is completely new, I am new, everyone involved is new, and so I am open to new outcomes.
I always make the best choices
I see what I need to see. I know all I need to know. I am disciplined, rational, and open. I catch every new opportunity. I notice every sign. I see patterns everywhere. I am in the flow with life, floating with it as if guided by the universe itself. I always know exactly what to do. I always have the courage and the know-how to get it done. I face everything boldly and freely. Everything always works out for me. Everything is always good and ends up good. If it’s not good yet, it’s not over!
I am free from the burdens of my past. I am free from worries about the future. I thrive in the present moment and deal with everything that comes my way to the best of my ability. That is all I can ever do, and it is enough.
Today is a good day, and I feel good! Let’s do this!
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Crave something else?
If you prefer to read about less esoteric topics, such as focusing on the mind, facing fears, dealing with stress and anxiety, relationships, and parenting, I would kindly refer you to ZZ Meditations, where I write about the more normal and practical aspects of life.
If even these topics aren’t wild enough for you, then I cordially invite you to step into the world of my imagination - Zediction. Here, I let it loose and write fiction.