Moving forward into the New Year means letting go of the past

For many, this year is an especially daunting one to face. Perhaps you’re feeling drained or fearful of the year ahead. The past year was filled with politics, stress, distressful rhetoric and an uncanny sense of being separate as a country, community and family. You may be grieving the loss of a friends, family and people who brought you comfort in the year past and somehow letting go of them as part of 2016 leaves you feeling more vulnerable and insecure as you look forward to 2017.

Much as you’d like you cannot hang on to the old year, or times before. Life goes on, relationships change, careers move forward and children grow up. You too must continue to learn new things, take on new challenges and grow into the person you’re meant to become. In order to do that you have to remember the past, enjoy the present and move forward into the future.

If you’re digging in your heels and holding on to grudges, hurts and pains from these suggestions can help you let go and move forward more effortlessly.

1. Take responsibility and accept what is and decide you’re ready to let go. There are many reasons people hang on to old hurts and painful memories. One of them is it offers excuses for them to be right. Or, they may find they gain attention from taking on the victim role or the one who was hurt. Both of these are passive forms of hurt and anger and will be beneficial for you moving forward in the New Year.
2. Forgiving is a choice. Forgiveness is a choice and a freedom you give yourself as well as the person who wronged you. If you feel as though you’re carrying hurtful memories or anger into 2017 it will affect every relationship you encounter. Why destroy positive relationships with others because of hurt from the past? Free yourself to love and be whole by forgiving old hurts and pains.
3. Focus on what you can control in your life and take charge in the New Year. You can control your healthy life style, how you communicate and with whom, what you eat, and what you focus to spend time and energy on. Let go of the past because what happened is in the past and you cannot go back and change it.
4. Live in the present and build toward the future. Living in the present forces you to appreciate moments and not get bogged down with petty trivial gossip about the past. Spend more time with friends and family creating memories that make you laugh and outweigh the “hurts in life.