☺ This too shall pass: How to Let Go and Move Forward ☺

I think it's human nature, perhaps the way our society is today, that we have a tendency to hold onto things as if our lives depend on them. Even if these are bad things. In fact, it's usually the bad things that we hold onto. We don't like change. We like what is comfortable and normal to us, again, even if such things are actually bad. It's still "normal" and familiar so we cling to it and fall into the same habits because they are so familiar. 

Our minds are also obsessive, muling over events or experiences, wondering if we could have done things differently, blaming ourselves or others, and stressing ourselves to sickness. We resist moving forward and cling to negative experiences. Constantly.  

We all do it. But we can also all work through it and learn to let it go. Because stress has no place in your beautiful wonderful life. 

So are you ready to let go and move forward? Okay, here we go!

Steps to letting go and moving forward: 

1. Remember that it was not your fault. Life is unpredictable, full of so many varying factors and people and things that we simply cannot change or predict. We cannot stop the "bad" from sometimes crossing our paths. Even if you are the direct cause of someone’s pain, things happen for a reason and so do your actions. You must lookout for yourself and sometimes there is a ripple that not everyone is favourable to. We all make mistakes, it's how we learn, so there is no place for guilt as long as you learn.
2. "Stress Happens when the Mind Resists what Is" Keep in mind that negative feelings do not serve you. Feeling guilty, down, sad, angry, unforgiving, or anything of the sort locks you in place and doesn't help you, others, or your predicament. Worrying is a misuse of your imagination. Instead, accept what has happened and remind yourself that stressing serves zero purpose. Spend more time imagining a positive outcome instead. 
3. You can’t change the past. Even if you make a mistake or feel guilty over past actions, there is nothing you can do about it anymore. What's done is done. The only thing that really matters is this moment Right Now. Dwelling on the past won’t change it. What you Can do is take lessons from your past mistakes so that you can create a better future. That being said, don’t fool yourself into thinking you’ll never make them again. We have a tendency to repeat our actions and situations until the lessons become a part of us. Don't get discouraged by repetition, just know that you are still heading in the right direction. Releasing the past is your ticket to moving forward freely in life.
4. Everything happens for a reason. The reason for things happening in our lives may not be immediately clear to us, but things have a way of falling into place at some point or another. The way to see the reasons sooner is by learning the lessons and seeking out the positive. You can't move forward if you're always looking back. While you may be waiting for a clear "falling into place," you can always seek out a comforting answer or an opportunity for change in even the shittiest situations if you look closely enough for the light. Remember that attitude is everything. 
5. You get a second Chance every Day. A new day brings a clean slate, a fresh start, a new beginning. You get a second chance every single second of every single day. If you're having trouble moving forward then remember that you can always move, change majors, quit your job, or just decide to get out of bed and make today kick-ass. The power to change is always in your hands, it is always your responsibility to move forward. Your Choice.  
6. Will it matter a Year from Now? Picture yourself five years from now, will you even remember today? Will you remember what it was that you are so concerned about in this moment that you are stressing yourself silly? Will you remember eating all that cake, or failing a test, or getting shot down by a guy/girl, or getting into a fight with your friends? What seems world-ending today probably isn’t going to ruin your life.
7. You Deserve Good Things. One of the major blocks holding us back is our lack of self-worth. We can't move forward when we don't feel as if we deserve good things in our lives. This is something that you must must must work through. Learn to love yourself, to accept yourself, and to welcome good things into your life. Know that you are awesome. Know that You Are Deserving. Repeat this to yourself daily. 

 Lastly… the next time you feel yourself stressing out… 

Take a step back. Take a deep breath and just try to laugh and force a smile. 

Take a second to remember exactly who you are, what you are about, and what you stand for. L

Life will never give you anything in this world that you can't handle! 

Remember to be strong, be adaptable, appreciate yourself, appreciate others, and keep moving positively forward!

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{life reflections}

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{life reflections}

 Weekly thoughts and rambles. A glimpse into my mind and world. 

These are entries that I might jot down in my Happy Diary; what happens when we put our fingers to the keyboard and allow our thoughts to flow uninhibited. Reflections from the soul. 

Reflections of life.  

I hope to leave you inspired. 

If you want to share your own reflections of the week please leave a link to your "life reflections" entry in the comments for all to find and see.

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Dreams are strange things. Sometimes I try to understand them. Sometimes they make sense, sometimes they don't. Sometimes you can figure out where they came from, like a collection of things you saw or events from your day replaying and reappearing sporadically into your dreams. Other times it's like you can see the future, see things before they happen, and can totally blow your mind. Like this one time I had a dream about boxing (and I was wearing boxing gloves), very random and out of nowhere, and then the next day when we were checking out some thrift stores I saw a pair of boxing gloves--what??!!! And then there was the time in elementary school that I had a dream about a girl in the class getting her hair cut and the next day she'd had a hair cut. Very strange and a little creepy? 

Then there are the dreams that are trying to tell us something. Maybe? Honestly, I don't really know where I stand with the dreamworld. It's such a strange and fascinating place. 

Where am I going with this? I suppose family has been on my mind a lot lately, of ordeals of the past, of things perhaps I am afraid of repeating. The truth is my family life has been chaotic and the source of a lot of joy and a lot of stress and pain in my life. The last couple years I feel as if a calm began and has been getting better ever since. But life can be surprising and it all depends what we're manifesting. I'm a little afraid of manifesting more drama. Fear is such an annoying and silly thing in our lives that is best to be put aside, especially when our thoughts can manifest our fears into reality. Still, sometimes it nags at us and sometimes certain things take extra work to get through. My family fears are one of those. Apparently. 

A year ago I never would have imagined my family to be where it is today. It's inspiring. It's a bloody miracle is what it is. I spent a lot of time focussing on the positive, visualizing what I wanted my family life to be like, and being grateful for what I had. Considering how things are now, it feels as if it's worked. But life can be surprising and repeat ordeals as soon as we stop focussing on the positive, complain, or become fearful. 

Last night I had a very vivid dream. I'm still trying to decide whether it was a warning sign, a premonition, a realization and reflection of what I've been feeling lately, or a lesson to teach me to let go. I want my relationship with both my mother and my father to be better. With my mother, I love her to death, she's one of my best friends, a constant source of inspiration and love in my life. But lately I haven't seen her enough. I've also realized that I'm afraid of disappointing her, or of her feeling I'm not on her side. Mom, if you're reading this I'm sorry for feeling this way and I love you. 

I guess I'm sharing this here today because I know so many people have problems with their families. Family is love, it's life, it's joy. But family involves a lot of different people, a lot of different people's problems, perspectives, and emotions. So things, naturally, can get messy and people don't always see eye to eye. I don't think any family is perfect, but certainly appreciating what you have helps and will bring about more joy within it. That and remembering that you don't all have to always agree to get along. ;)

As for my father… I mentioned recently that things have gotten a lot better with us, after years of estrangement and ordeals. I want to work on that. I am happy of where things are at right now. But my dream last night was about him. It was a repeat of the past few years, of our usual circle together that ends with me in tears and disappointed. 

So, I'm trying to decide if the dream was a warning, or if it was simply a nudge for me to let go of outcome, enjoy the moment, and to stop being afraid. You can't be afraid or disappointed if you're not attached to the outcome, if you're not setting yourself up for disappointment with expectations. Life's too short to not take risks or to not be bold because you're afraid. Fear holds us back, courage and taking risks propels us forward. 

I do believe the dream last night was merely showing me my own thoughts, how I was feeling that I hadn't really acknowledged. I want a better relationship with my father, but I am still afraid of being hurt again. But that's something I can work on now that I've acknowledged it. Love is letting for of fear. Life is being who you are and not being afraid or ashamed. Life is following your heart and your passions, and pursuing your hopes and dreams. Ultimately, life is about being positive. It's all about attitude, right?! Right! 

Personally, I'm tired of being afraid. I'm tired of being afraid of hurting people by simply following my heart. It's my life and I'm going to live it the way I want, and have the relationships that I choose, and be the person that I want to be. I want to be free to speak my mind, to do what I want, and to wear my heart on my sleeve. I want to be bold and courageous. I want to let go of fear. Because fear is the only thing holding me back. Fear is that silly nagging voice that tells you things are impossible. Fear is the little devil on your shoulder that makes you doubt, that makes you manifest the things you don't want into your life. So letting go of fear will bring about the positive, will bring forth the things you Do want. 

I always always come from a place of love. Always. It's just difficult when people don't always realize that. It's difficult when you feel misunderstood. It's hard because you are you and they are they. We're all different, we all see things differently, we all experience things differently. 

I do believe though, if you live through your heart, if you always come from a place of love, then, eventually or immediately, things will always fall into place. Perhaps that's all I need to take away from this and any other experience in life; to live with love and to let go of fear. Because the last thing you should be afraid of is love.    

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