Not being affected by your past and letting it dictate who you are, is something I like to remind myself of every day.

You have to look past yourself and reach deeper to find who you really are and what you stand for. This is no easy task. Letting go of your past is something most of us struggle with our entire lives. Sometimes, to create something new, you must first break down the old. It’s important to remember to forgive yourself and learn from mistakes instead of letting them steer you toward negativity. At some point you have to let your positives shine through.

We’ve all heard that forgiveness is a key to growth, and even though we yearn for retribution,  sometimes we need to just move forward.  You can start by telling yourself that forgiveness doesn’t mean you’re absolving anyone from their actions. What’s wrong has already been done and that cannot change. Rather, forgiveness helps you to break up the pattern so you won’t continue on the path of self-destruction.

I understand what it means to let go of past hurts for well. This was a large part of my early training under my Master. My childhood circumstances – being resented by my mother, beaten by my father, shunned by my entire village, and laughed at for aspiring to be a martial artist – would have overwhelmed me with self-pity had my teacher not shown me how to take control of my own life and refuse the idea of becoming a victim.

If you connect with what you’ve read here you might enjoy the book I wrote SEVEN STEPS TO INNER POWER, where I talk about other life experiences and what I’ve learned in the process.