  How Heavy is this Glass of Water?3 Strategies to Help You Put Down the Weight of the Past Some might say, “not
heavy at all,” or “a little heavy”. However,
what we really should ask is “how long have you been holding it?!” If you just picked it up you probably don’t
notice the weight too much. However,
after an hour, or days it’s pretty darn heavy. Your fingers might start to cramp, your shoulder
gets sore, your body pretty miserable. Well, how long have you been holding on to difficult events
in your life? The weight of the past can
cause lots of problems in the present. Holding
onto the past can increase anxiety and depression, cause difficulty in
relationships, problems with sleeping and even indecisiveness. Holding onto the past can weigh you down and
keep you from living life fully. If you’re ready to let go of some the weight of the past, here’s three
suggestions to get you started. First: Consider what you ruminate on. What memory or
memories get played over and over in your mind? Sometimes it works to pull out
a journal or sheet of paper and start logging any negative thoughts that go
through your mind. This allows you to
see patterns and recognize how much of your time and energy is focused on the
past. Second: Once you’ve identified where your thoughts
go. Identify what you want to replace the thoughts with. For example if you notice that your thoughts
always go to a failed relationship or negative self-thoughts, now’s the time to
replace them with positive truths, such as, “that was then, this is now,” or
“I’m okay today.” Now, I don’t believe
in lying to our selves! But the truth
really is that today is a new day and we can start to live in a different way
and see ourselves in a different way. If
we tell ourselves every day it’s dangerous to cross the street, we eventually
believe it. So let’s tell our selves the positive truth
and start letting that sink in. A third way to
start letting the weight of the past go is to focus on what is positive in our
lives now. We want to live in the present, not the past. When we are living in
the past we miss the good around us. Studies have shown that we can train our
brains to look for the good or the bad that happens around us. If your brain
excels in looking at the negative then it’s time to retrain it! One way to
start is by writing down three things a day that you are thankful for. It could
be as simple as the taste of ripe fruit, the beauty of a sunset, or
friendliness of a store clerk. By practicing these three steps each day you will notice
that your brain starts to put down the weight and free you up to live more
fully in today.  Today's blog is written by Anita Griffie. To contact Anita or to schedule an appointment to meet with her, email her at livingwater.agriffie@gmail.com or call her at 503-477-2957. |
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CategoriesChildren and AdolescenceFreedom from the Past Healing Hope Love & Relationships Premarital Counseling |
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