Releasing the Past to Make Room for the New…

How do I create the next chapter in my life when thoughts of the past, both negative and positive, keep coming into my mind? How do I make peace with the people who hurt me and the pain that shaped the very life I have been living for so long?

These were some of the questions I asked myself and my spiritual team as I sat beside the Big Lake, Lake Superior. I’ve always found inspiration, peace and a sense of resolve beside the water, listening to the waves gently lap upon the shore.

A flood of ideas poured in as I listened to the guidance I was receiving. Write down the name of every individual whom you perceived to have caused you pain…then write the gifts each person gave you. Not physical, tangible gifts…the emotional and spiritual ones. The ones that were revealed after the pain subsided. The ones that supported your spiritual growth and added to your library of wisdom.

The task was surprisingly easy. I listed each name, reflected on the difficult parts of the relationship, and then asked myself, “What did I learn about myself, and the other person, that I could use to benefit me in the future?” In a satiating kind of way, the process was a way of identifying the lesson I’d learned which I’d already applied to my life. I was able to “connect the dots” and identify which relationship had taught me, for example, to stand up for myself, or speak my truth, or set boundaries.

To my surprise, I realized I’d already healed many of the wounds I’d encountered with most of the people…there weren’t any feelings or emotions attached to a majority of the names.

A sudden peace came over me as I reread the names and the gifts each individual had provided to me. These gifts would support me during the next chapter in my life. Many of the people, I believe, probably thought they were hurting me, but in all actuality, they were blessing me.

By reframing the stories of “people who did me wrong” into lessons and blessings~thus, wisdom, I felt better prepared to begin this new chapter…new beginnings of every kind!

Blessings Embraced

• Reflecting on past relationships provide insight into gifts given through painful situations

• Gifts given, are lessons learned, which benefit one in future encounters

Affirmation: In future relationships, I use the gifts I’ve been given from each difficult situation in the past