Many times my Pinterest feed is filled with quotes about the past and forgetting it. One of the quotes that I see most often is "Don't look back, you're not going that way". Although, it is important to look ahead at the wonderful things that life holds for you, it is also important to look at the things of the past. Look at them, not dwell on them. The events of your past have made you who you are today. Pondering these events can help you realize all of the blessings that God has given you.

In a recent conversation with my wonderful roommate, I realized that although there were mistakes in my past, they all taught me something valuable. Each and every person has a different past and a different way that they were raised, but those experiences are what they have become. Therefore, the past is important.

Now, I do not think that one should dwell on the past and all that has gone wrong, but look back at the mistakes that have happened and discover what you gained from them. And not all of the past is bad. There are definitely positive memories from the past. Those memories made you the person you are today just as much as the mistakes did. It is important that we don't just forget about the past altogether. The past can guide us to where we want to be as a person, and it can help us to guide others.

One of my very best friends wrote us (me and my other friends) a letter last year to thank us for being with her through the awkward stages of junior high. She told us that the people at college only knew who she had become, but we knew who she was and the beautiful young woman she became. That is something that is so special and has stuck with me since the day she read us the letter. The friends of "old" have known you through some of the most awkward stages of your life, and they have guided you to become the person you are today. The new friends that you are making or have made know the person that you became, the not-so-awkward young adult.

Be thankful for your past and the lessons that you learned from it. The experience may have been awful in the moment and for many moments after, but hopefully you can look back at it now and see the growth that you gained from said experience. The Lord has a plan and we should trust that plan. He has given you so many wonderful learning opportunities. Be proud of the person that you have become and the steps you took to get there.