"When we cling to our stories - we choose the past over the present."
— James McPartland
We talk to ourselves all day long, often building upon the stories that we have been telling ourselves for years.
And since one of the key functions of our brain is to make sense of the world around us, we file our experiences into memory and call upon them when similar events unfold in our daily lives. These associations further strengthen the memories and often lead us to believe that we know how things work, how people will behave, and how life really is-- whether that belief is true or false.
We tend to value predictability and thus draw conclusions quickly, as life tends to be busy for most people. What we seemingly fail to see, is how we call on the past to relate to the present. Essentially, we recreate the past every day and engage with life in ways that we have memorized over time. This unconscious approach robs us of present-moment living and the possibility of new experiences.
Awareness of our unconscious processes allow for a new story to be developed, one where you ask yourself questions such as:
What else could this mean?
What might I miss from this conversation if I continue to judge the topic or the person based on my past experiences?
What can this experience, and these people in my life teach me?
By the time we are 35 years old, we have essentially locked our memorized way of being into place. For the most part, we have had the high and low experiences of life and feel we have figured how the game is played.
We run on auto-pilot.
Breaking this habit requires a willingness to want to, an open mind, accountability buddies, and an acceptance of this truth:
A more empowering future is yours for the taking. Make a decision to stop re-living the story of your past, and start living into the future you are fully empowered to live!
