If You’re Stuck in the Past, You Can’t Find Future Success
January 6th, 2009 | 
Author: Your past has a huge impact on your future. There aren’t too many of us who can say we had the perfect childhood, perfect friends and live the perfect life. Sometimes we can’t forget the traumas we’ve been subject to and are stuck in the past, fearful of venturing into new places that may contain the answers for success that we’ve been searching for.
There’s a quote, attributed to Budda, that say: “The mind is everything. What you think, you become.” If you think in the past, unforgiving of those who’ve hurt or disappointed you, happiness and success will elude you all your life. When you look at an obstacle and can’t imagine yourself overcoming it, you’re saying that you’re incapable of learning new things.
Successful Internet marketers know they have to keep up on the latest trends – perhaps learning methods that seem difficult – especially technical issues. Little voices in your head may be telling you that you can’t possibly learn what you need to succeed at Internet marketing. You’re still holding onto emotional baggage transforming it into a major obstacle that keeps you from progressing.
You may have to face down the past, reveal and actually name what’s keeping you from success, calling it what it is – a lie! That’s the first step in letting go of the baggage from the past and beginning a new life where you say and know that you’re capable of anything you can imagine. Negative thoughts about yourself can become a dark cloud that follows you around and knocks you out of whatever you’re pursuing.
Journaling is one of the best ways to sort out your thoughts. You don’t have to be a “writer” to journal. Simply jot down thoughts about yourself, business, friends and family or whatever enters your mind at the moment. Also, write thoughts you have about your past – the good and the bad. After awhile, look back at what you’ve written. You may notice a pattern in your thoughts that keep you from branching out from the space you’re in.
Ask yourself what defining moments in your past made you the person you are today. Your parents may have traumatized you by divorcing, or a friend may have betrayed your confidence, causing you not to trust others. If you’re always thinking about those incidents, it’s like turning your head to look behind you while running. Sooner or later, you’re going to run into a pole or off a cliff.
You sure won’t get to where you need and want to be going.
Fill your conscious and subconscious with thoughts that you can do anything you set your mind to. The past is the past – learn from it, then let go of the bad parts and remember the things that are most important to you and have helped you become the person you are today.
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What if journals don’t help? How do you turn it off? What happens if your life is a constant struggle? Which came first? The traumatic experience or the trouble that comes along with negative thinking?
What happens when you are constantly being let down? Nothing major, just little setbacks. But constantly being experienced. What do you do?
Tiffany,
So true. In fact, living as long as I have I have had the opportunity of making many mistakes. However, these past mistakes have opened all sorts of doors for me to be a better person and to enjoy success all the more.
BTW, I don’t live in the past, but I when I make new mistakes I try too learn and grow from them.
Great Post!
http://PeterLoughlin.com
Steven, sometimes it does take more than journaling but you have to find a way to get back control. Each person is different. I went to a counselor too – just for blahness in general, but I always brought up “that incident.” Finally, I just got SICK and TIRED of having to complain to my counselor about life.
It wasn’t until I started following the LOA that it started working for me – and I don’t mean I believe the universe hears me and gives good things – I mean I started living like I wanted life to BE. I wanted to be happy so damn it, I was going to be happy that day – I didn’t care who pissed my Cheerios, you know?
Maybe for someone else it will take counseling or beating a punching bag or being on Dr. Phil for a day. But find a way to let it go. You are powerless if you allow this to run your life.
Re: little setbacks and constantly being let down, gosh that happens on a daily basis with me, too. But if you stop and get mired down in it, you won’t move forward – it’s like a flat tire. You can sit and stare at it and wait for someone else to change it, or hurry up, get out of your car, change it and get back on the road.
Peter: I agree – the past does help you deal with the future better! I learned after giving into many of my client’s demands that they would walk all over me. I started putting my foot down and my life is SO much happier!
You just have to demand and take control period.
Gosh..great post! I really have read a lot on the law of attraction and I try to live it everyday now. I think what works for me is getting up each morning and just being grateful for what I have right now and being grateful for what the day will bring sets me in a good mood. That mood gives me this higher vibration that believe it or not, with this higher vibration I start to attract more things and good people and better opportunities as well.
Steven, don’t look for things to let you down anymore, forget about all that…Just start being you, being grateful for all that you have right now and get energized about life…It will start to work for you…trust ME.
Krysti