Letting go of the past

I've been doing some thinking about this since last week, and putting my words down on paper helps me to think out my ideas more clearly and solidify things in my mind. This is for me, but if someone else can benefit from it, than maybe it has a dual purpose.

Last Sunday in my ABF class, we watched this video about holding on to the past. The idea was that so many people waste so much energy wishing for things to be how they were "in the good old days", whether your good old days were many years ago, or just last year. I thought the video was very powerful and it really struck a chord with me. Those who know me well know that I am probably the absolute worst in the world at living in the past. It takes me SO long to adjust to something new, and I spend so much time wishing things could go back to how they were. Heck, I still wish on a regular basis that I could move back to the duplex on Holik, and I lived there 5 years ago for goodness sake! But the thing is, things can't go back to how they were. And by spending so much time holding on to the past, you (and by you, I mean me) are missing out on what wonderful things the present has to offer.

"when we're still holding on to how things were, our arms aren't free to embrace today"

There are a lot of things I wish I could change. There are a lot of things that are different that I wish could be the same...

"Life isn't static. It ebbs and it flows, and people grow up and move away and graduate and lose their jobs. And people that you love die, and some people get married and others don't, and some get divorced and some get cancer and things aren't how they were ..."

It's not the same, and it's not going to be the same. It's not supposed to be. That's not how life works. That doesn't mean that the new can't be as good as, if not better than, the old. You can't go back, only forward. Sometimes, all you can do is let go. Maybe it's letting go of an old friendship, an old hurt, or an old love. Maybe it's just letting go of the idea that a relationship can stay the same forever ... because it can't, people change, and that's okay. If you know that it isn't going to be the same you just have to decide if what the new brings is okay with you, or if you need to let it go completely. Holding on to what something was only keeps you from seeing what today has to offer. So, here's to making the most of each day, and looking forward not backward.

... But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 3:13-14

If you get a chance I highly suggest you watch this video. I searched for it online and found it on youtube, but unfortunately could only find it divided into two parts. It's about 12 minutes total, and if you need a little push, or a little encouragement, I'd say it's worth your time. (sorry about the spanish subtitles, it's all I could find)