Forgive the past to move into the future

In most of the articles I've written thus far, I've spoken about the personal responsibility one has in making his or her surroundings better. It's also a matter of choice many times in how you view situations and thus, respond to them in either a positive way that leads to empowerment, or a negative way that leads to stress and anxiety. Recently reading "Why Some Positive Thinkers Get Powerful Results" by Norman Vincent Peale, the author discusses how turning negative thoughts into positive ones is a combination of concerted effort, faith, and trust that the problems of life hold within them their own solutions.

One of the hallmarks of Peal's process is forgiving the past and moving on into the future. This often means forgiving yourself for all the "should's' and "if's" that can sound off in your mind. Further, the way one thinks about not only himself or herself, but also his/her circumstances, has a lot to do with the results that are found.

One of the common psychological techniques that therapists can use is in having clients visualize the kind of life they want and then acting "as if" they can and will achieve it. While this might seem easy in theory, it can often be extremely difficult for people to achieve without a solid effort and time to truly master the technique.

Often we are defined not only by the thoughts and actions of others, but also those we impose on ourselves. From childhood we try to make sense of who we are. We gather into groups such as the "popular crowd" or the "brainy crowd" and begin to define ourselves from the people we hang out with and the activities in which we participate. In doing so, we grow up with notions about what we may or may not be good at, or how we'll eventually fit into society in later life. While this serves a purpose of sorts, it can also pigeonhole us; making us believe that we can only succeed in certain areas and aren't quite capable enough in others.

However, if the person you've grown into thinking you are isn't truly how you feel, this can cause a great deal of discomfort. Shedding the preconceived notions we have of ourselves and making the effort to go in search of our true self not only allows a more fulfilled life, but also one that has true purpose and meaning.

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