Releasing Doesn't Mean Forgetting!

Holding on to the past makes it very difficult for the Universe to send you anything.

Releasing the past is not about forgetting the past. It is about loosening your attachment to the thoughts and feelings that the past events have stirred. We all have both fond and haunting memories, but the less attached you become to them, the easier it will be for you to move forward. If you stay caught up in the past, you may find that you begin playing out the same events in your life over and over again. You may enter into new relationships with similar people, or the same theme may present itself in your life again and again. You also may find it difficult to move forward, or you might feel blocked and restricted when you do try to make the move. To release the past, you have to truly want to let go of your attachment to those events.

Sometimes we like to hold on to painful memories or situations because it helps us justify our status as victims and gives us a reason for not being able to achieve what we want in life. But this mindset just creates a never-ending cycle. Retelling a story again and again about how you were hurt and how you were wronged is never going to bring healing and closure. Instead, it keeps the past alive in your mind and alive in your body. This creates more pain and more agony-and it doesn't serve anyone, least of all you.

Try this exercise to release the past.

To be able to surrender to the flow of your life, you have to first learn how to surrender and release the past. To find out what you should surrender, ask yourself these questions. "What emotions, thoughts, or events am I still churning over again and again in my mind?" "Is there an old story that I keep telling myself?" Write down your answers on a piece of paper. Keep writing until all your thoughts and feelings surrounding the situation have been shared. When you feel ready, take a deep breath and on your exhale, start ripping the paper. As you exhale, you can also visualize yourself releasing all the emotions and attachments to your story. Keep doing this until the entire paper is in shreds.