Are you negatively affected by experiences in your past? You are not alone. Everyone goes through personal challenge. We all experience emotional pain as a result of adversity. It can be easy to let that pain define us and negatively impact our lives, even years after the event or experience.
We often assume that what happens to us, defines us. Having worked with a countless number of clients over the years, I see that people often believe that they will never have a normal life due to their past; they often don’t believe that happiness is possible. Having been through significant adversity myself, I know that it’s not only possible to live a normal life, but an exceptional life as a result of personal challenge.
The secret lies in turning pain into power. We may strive to let go of the past. We may find ourselves desperately trying to forget about the things that have happened to us in order to find peace. But my question to you is this, “Why would you want to forget about something that has made you the beautiful person that you are today?”
If you were bullied as a child, is it possible that you are compassionate as a result? If you suffered neglect, you may be more resilient or independent. If you suffered the loss of a loved one at a young age, is it possible that you have a deeper appreciation for life?
I highly recommend that you take some time to write down all of the negative events in your past. Draw a vertical line on a piece of paper that represents the timeline of your life, with birth at the bottom and your current life at the top. Write down each negative experience in date order along this line.
When you have done this, look at each event and ask yourself, “What was the best thing about that happening to me?” Write down as many positive points as you can. If we look for the diamonds in the dirt, we start to find them!
By opening our minds to this way of thinking, we can start turning the pain into power. Our past need not define us, but it can help to find us. We can all become better people living better lives as a result of adversity.
To discover more ways to overcome adversity, why not check out my book Strip Naked & Re-Dress With Happiness here: https://amzn.to/2XMFYAT
(Links on this site are Amazon affiliate links which do not affect you in anyway. It does mean that I will receive a small commission for products sold on this site).
