In this, the final series around loving yourself for a better life, I’d like to explore a why behind what holds many people back from achieving the results or freedom that they are searching for. Maybe you have been in this in your own life or in the lives of colleagues, clients, family, or friends. Perhaps the reason why people have been unable to achieve the results they have been looking for is that they are holding on too tightly to the past.
“The reason you’re having issues with your destiny is because you’re too attached to your history” – Calvin Witcher
Attachment
Often we hold onto the past in ways that are unhealthy for us. When we get honest with ourselves, we will find that many times we are holding onto regret, old hurts, disappointments, unforgiveness, etc that stall our growth. When we hold too tight onto these things we have no ability to grab what is in front of us. American Ninja Warriors gives us a great picture of this concept. Imagine you are navigating an obstacle course and you are on rings moving over a pool of water. There are nine rings to transverse across. If you are on ring two moving to ring three and then attempt to go to ring four without letting go on the second one, your forward movement is halted. In order to move forward, you must let go of the past.
Once you let go, the ring is still there, you can still see it, and it may even be swaying a bit (just like those things in our past that stay around) however you have moved on. Momentum requires forward motion and forward motion requires us to let go of those things in the past that hold us back.
No one should be suggesting or demanding that you forget the past. In fact, forgetting the past can become detrimental to the future, however letting go of the past is the only true way to achieve growth.
Achievement
Your destiny awaits you. Growth demands change. When we change, we grow. When we grow… we achieve results. Achievement comes with hard work. Success is nothing more than making having a solid understanding of character and courage through effort and skill set.
Bodybuilders live this philosophy. When you see a bodybuilding competition what you are looking at is the result of hard work, effort, and developing skills for growth. There are some bodybuilders who overcame obesity to become highly successful at their craft. They did not get there by staying attached to their past. The same is true for whatever we are walking through at the present moment.
Don’t Wait, Start Today
Holding onto the past keeps us from fulfilling the destiny that each of us has been created to live. Living your best life requires showing up in the present moments. These present moments make up our journey. The journey will be as smooth or bumpy as you want it to be. Turbulence can feel calm to those who understand why it happens. Sometimes we cannot control what happens to us, yet we can control how we respond to situations. Building up resilience helps us let go of the attachment to past experiences and allows us to learn from them. Learning from the past positions us for grow in the present. Growth produces achievement. Our destiny comes into fruition when we use our achievements to push us further rather than holding on to the attachments of past failures, falls, or stumbles. Learn and grow.
Comment below on how you have turned attachments into achievements.