Wish Wednesday ~ the past is holding you back

“Let go of what no longer serves you.”

This is a quote you hear a lot, especially when it comes to manifesting what you want. They say that you must let go of what no longer serves you in order to attract new, better energy into your life.

But what exactly does that mean?

It means more than simply letting go of the past. Your past will follow you everywhere, more so when you attempt to avoid it.

We struggle to realize that we hold onto so many things, people, and situations, just for the sake of holding on. Letting go is scary and requires an enormous amount of faith and trust.

The greatest challenge when it comes to letting go identifying the excuses we make.

Too often we confuse “reason” with “excuse.”

Do you have a reason for holding onto this, or do you have excuses?

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There are many things in life that we are meant to hold onto. Imagine planting a seed and taking the time and effort into letting it grow to be strong and healthy. If the potential is there, then your efforts are not wasted. But if you don’t put in any effort, even the most resilient plants will die.

On the other side, we have the opposite. You planted a seed that lacked potential. You put in so much time tending to the seed, watering it every day, checking up on it constantly. Yet, no matter how hard you tried, the leaves continued browning. Your efforts to keep it alive works, but it will never be the vividly colorful garden you strive towards.

Your life is a garden, your thoughts are the seeds, and your caretaking reflects your dedication.

How much time and effort are you wasting watering dead plants while you fail to nourish the healthy ones?

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Some people (like myself) are very sentamental, holding onto every little thing.

My mother was always the opposite, throwing out whatever she could to make space for the new and never looking back. My childhood was full of “mom, have you seen [blank]?” And she would say, “I probably threw it out!” And I would freak out, but growing older and moving homes several times, I found myself going through piles of junk and asking myself why I didn’t get rid of all this crap a long time ago.

How much “junk” do you let keep space in your mind? Is there ANY room left in there for new ideas, new perspectives?

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The best way to seek self-awareness is through an outside perspective. You know those illusions where you zoom into the photo and have no idea what’s going on, until you zoom out and see something completely different? That’s what it means to look at the big picture and take a step back.

Be the observer, and let your “true self” be the reactor. Be someone else as you watch her every move. Follow her everywhere. Listen to what she says. Notice her online activity. Read through her text messages and emails. Go through all her belongings. Keep track of all she does, says, posts, even thinks…

Now you call her a fraud. And how does she react? With excuses or with reason?

Excuses are defensive, frightening, anxious, frazzling, and require long explanations. They are full of emotion and panic. They cause a person to attack. They are manipulative, finding clever ways to twist the blame on you: the innocent observer. Excuses are full of fluffy words like “well,” “I just…” etc. They refuse accountability and do anything to point the finger at someone/something else, relying on distraction to shield you from the truth. Simply put, excuses are cowardly.

Reason is calm. It is straight forward and logical. It has nothing to hide. It is what it is. There’s no fear, no hesitation, no shame. It takes full responsibility and does not blame others. Reason is so self-assured that there is no explanation required. There’s no need to convince anyone of anything; and there’s no need for distraction. It does not demand attention, nor does it hide itself.

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Cultivate more awareness in your life. When it comes to anything or anyone, always question yourself about what you are holding onto. Observe yourself from an outsider’s perspective. Determine whether your life is full of reasons and purpose, or excuses and explanations. You do not want to live life feeling ashamed of yourself or feeling like you can’t open up. Be smart about your energy, if you are watering dead plants that can’t grow or big plants that are flourishing every day. You will never have a beautiful garden until you rip out the weeds.