I'm starting to learn that, as I get older, life has its way of reminding you of those painful memories from a part of life that no one likes to talk about, "the past." One of my favorite quotes from the one and only "Lion King" says, "Oh yes, the past can hurt. But you can either run from it, or learn from it." Through many instances of making the wrong decision and learning the hard way, I've found that sometimes in those painful situations it's easier to accept what is. No one can change the past, no matter how much you hate something or someone; that hatred can't change anything. However, your attitude about the future can allow you to accept the past. So there is something I'd like to say to the ones from "the past":

"I'm Sorry and I Forgive You"

"I'm sorry" isn't just the phrase you say after you accidentally run into someone. Those two words can be the most freeing words when you actually mean them. Believe it or not, as an adult, the words "I'm sorry" get harder and harder to say because our pride and egotistic tendencies get in the way. I'm guilty of this more than I would like to admit; in the past it's been easier to let petty drama ruin special relationships just to "save some face" and walk away with a little dignity. Little did I know trying to salvage what was left of my dignity would lead to driving important people out of my life. Something else that I learned, in the worst way possible, is that forgiveness is everything. Accepting the past and moving on, as well as learning from the situation, is something I could not come to peace with until I forgave myself and I forgave others.

(You can read in my biography on my profile that two words to describe my writing style were "sarcastic" and "sassy." So I got through the heartfelt part, here comes the sarcastic and sassy.)

"For a lack of better words, GROW UP"

As firmly as I believe that apologies and forgiveness play a huge part in moving on, I also firmly believe in maturity! The past is called the past for a reason. It is already done with, set in stone, you can't change it. So what is the point in dwelling on it? Being in your 20s doesn't necessarily make you an expert on life, but most 20-year-olds should have achieved moderate maturity by now. Not to mention, holding grudges from years ago has got to be stressful. Premature aging from stress is real people. Since we are all adults now, everyone should know good and well it is not worth it to stress over things you can't change! Stressing is literally scientifically proven to make you age faster. Psychology Today says, "Stress can speed up the aging process by shortening the length of each DNA strand."

In the words of Dave Matthews, "life is short but sweet for certain." Life is short, too short to be missing out on possibilities and relationships just because you feel like you have to have the "last word." Life is also "sweet for certain," so enjoy the positivity that the world has to offer; hate and negativity just lead to darkness. Lastly, don't let people's mistakes define how you see them and don't let them consume you. Everybody has their demons, and everyone is just searching for someone whose demons play well with their own.