Memories. We all have them. Whether we remember things from 20 years ago or 20 minutes ago, the past often burrows itself deep within our brains and often our hearts.
We are vulnerable creatures of habit. We cling to the things that make us feel alive and invincible. Things that give us reasons to live. Things that fill us with hope. Things that we never want to let go of throughout the entirety of our existence.
The things that we experience in our lives are sometimes so rare and beautiful that letting them go seems unimaginable and even unbearable. We play these memories, these moments, on repeat and wish we could do so forever.
Even though everyone will tell you that living in the past and reliving old memories prevents us from moving on, that does not mean that we won't do it. We search endlessly for reasons about why we should move on and let go, but sometimes our hearts simply aren't ready to.
Maybe the past is tinged with pain. The pain of others forgetting about you. The pain of losing loved ones. The pain accompanied with realizing that you are the only one that reflects on those once-upon-a-time-ago moments.
Maybe the past is filled with bubbling happiness. Endless instances of laughter, smiles and love. Exceptional memories that will forever live on in your heart and soul. Things that happily haunt us for the rest of our days.
We like to live in the past because we often think that things were simpler then. We didn't realize what we had until it was gone. We failed to recognize the pure innocence and beauty of what was and have difficulty in recognizing it in what is.
The familiarity of the past is all too comfortable. There are no surprises. The script is already written, and there is no option or ability to change it.
It's nicer to daydream and reminisce about things that have come and gone simply because it's easier than facing reality sometimes. There is a sort of madness accompanied with nostalgia, sometimes, in that instead of solely thinking about our past, we live in it.
Our lives are finite, and it's extremely essential that we realize our lives are meant for living and taking in all of life's greatest wonders.
Life is hard; change is hard. We fear the unknown and the inability to predict things. But our experiences in life come from the past. Our past will guide us to new obstacles, new frontiers, new memories and new experiences.
As conditioned beings, it's important to avoid being prisoners of the past. We need to channel the past into something that will help us live in the moment or plan for the future.
The past is always going to be present in our lives. Embrace it, and realize that it will guide you on how to live in the now and look ahead to the unknown.
