Our past does not define us; and it takes a lot of courage to embrace that. It takes bravery to throw off the shackles and strive for something more. Something bigger. Something bolder.
It's so easy to blame the past for the mistakes in our lives. I know I do. I blame it for my anxiety, for my "quick to anger" tendencies and for my inability to ever fully let my barriers down. I blame it for the break down of relationships, for my constant need to prove myself and for the emotional pit that I often find myself sinking into.
I blame it for my weaknesses. And it's time that stopped.
We do not have to live life by the hand it dealt us. No, we choose our own path and say, "This is the life I'm going to live and this is the person I'm going to be... and I'm damned if anything is going to change that."
Because we've all had our hardships. Each one of us holds on to something that runs far deeper than what we all see on the surface. Something beyond the idyllic lives we portray on Instagram, or the "happy-go-lucky" personas we spread across Facebook. We all have our demons. And until we say goodbye to them, we will never find inner peace.
We cannot pretend these things never happened; they did, and they sent us down turbulent walks of life with unanswered questions and an aching heart. But you know what? It's called the past for a reason. And that's where those memories need to stay.
Endeavouring to create positive changes in your life, to be better than your past, is the most beautiful thing a person can do. Grabbing your destiny and running with it. Being your present and your future. That's the way we need to live. That's the way I need to live.
So let it go. Let it all go... every single bit of poison from your past that still runs through your veins. Every negative memory that refuses to leave your side, every person that has ever inflicted that pain upon you. Just let it go.
And you'll be free. You'll be free to live a life not drawn back by the strings of your past.
Life is exciting. Our opportunities for passion and happiness are limitless. So take hold of them. Run, and run far.
Be the change. Be your destiny.