The past can be excruciating and haunt us if we don’t take steps to move on and heal. With today being the first day of 2023, let’s take a moment to shed the skin of our past and embrace what the future holds for us.
I don’t mean that in a mysterious/motivational way; to experience growth, you must change how you look at yourself. You cannot reach the heights you want to hit if you continue to carry the weight and remain strapped to the anchors you’ve been tied to for so long.
Ask yourself, at any point will you give yourself the grace to move on?
Are you ever going to give yourself permission to grieve, reconcile, forgive, or remove the source of shame living inside of you? Are you ever going to escape the ever-present, always haunting, always having you hate yourself, always making you wish you were anyone else, person, or moment from your past…
We cannot allow who we were to dictate who we become.
Trauma, in particular, can be hard to overcome and have long-lasting effects if not appropriately addressed. Learning how to overcome your past trauma is essential to lead a healthy and fulfilling life. Whether we’re talking about physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, emotional manipulation, or the use of shame and guilt against you-
Whatever you went through, it’s time to take it head on and free yourself from the shackles which exist within.
How to Overcome Your Past
The first step to overcoming your past trauma is recognizing and facing it head-on.
Many goals have been set as we’ve brought in the new year, but how many set themselves up to achieve those future goals by addressing past anchors that must be overcome to ever reach the targets set?
Trauma from your past is like being chained to a tree; you can only get so far away from it.
Facing your past, though?
That's what starts cutting the tree down - not the rope.
The rope will always be there; we all get snagged on things time and again, but the tree, if you cut your tie to it the tree still stands tall - casting shadows. You are free for good if you kill the tree (the source of the pain, be it a relationship, addiction, past, or habit).
Stop trying to cut your leg off.
Stop trying to cut the leash.
Both are easy and temporary, leaving the actual issue standing.
This year, cut the fucking tree.
This can be difficult, especially if the trauma is still raw or you’ve been avoiding it for a long time. However, it’s essential to acknowledge and accept your traumatic experience to begin healing from it. This can involve talking to a therapist, attending a support group (many men have found refuge and the foundation to build their greatest selves within the Fraternity of Excellence), or writing in a journal.
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