Forgetting the past

@sigma77 (5383)
United States
May 4, 2007 8:51am CST
Do you think it is possible to instantly forget the past? To just let it go all together and live right now? Would you feel better about yourself and life if you could let the past melt away? Remember, the past includes everything that has happened you that you are aware of. Even things that happened only minutes or hours ago. Imagine the freedom to live in the moment without letting past events and behaviors create sorrowful feelings. I beleive that many are haunted by their pasts and this keeps them from living fully and being happy. Myself included.
18 people like this
48 responses
@tigerdragon (4297)
• Philippines
4 May 07
if that works for you then let it. i may have a different way of managing my ghosts in the past like i face them and analyze how to deal or mange them since it's not going to go away , might as well learn to live and work with it to my advantage.making my weakness as a tool for me to be stronger and wiser.
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
4 May 07
I can understand your ideas. But why can't they just go away? If we were to continously focus on the present moment, those ghosts would have no way to come back to haunt us. Thanks.
3 people like this
• Philippines
5 May 07
they will never go away. they will always be with you like your shadow of the past . so as not to haunt you again , one should treat them like a friend.they are just there but not bothering you.treat it as if it's already part of you.everytime you think of it, you get affected.just let it be and tell yourself how can it hurt you, it hurt you already!since you know what it is and how it feels then you know what to do.do what charlie chaplin weote in his one and only song "SMILE" and always know & remember in your heart and mind that 'EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT'.
• United States
4 May 07
my motto for life is you can not live in the past you can not predict the futhuere live for today and make it the happiest day you can believe in the Lord-- you worry to much about the past you will never get ahead in life consider the past a lesson learned and move forward you make your life what it is
4 people like this
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
4 May 07
Good motto. I agree that worry will keep a person stuck in the past and a fraid of the future.
3 people like this
• United States
5 May 07
those are thw words I live by and thank you for your comment
1 person likes this
@stella1989 (2274)
• India
4 May 07
No forgetting past is not a good option for me..!! As its wierd but I am habbit of remembering every memory whether its bad or good..! Its ok with me ...! Cause I hate to repeat my mistskes again..so to prevent this I have to remember my past..! And till now its not that painful either. Their many of my friends who ditched me when I most needed them so kind of use to it. If you start getting hurt so easily like a glass then you will break apart into pieces....! So you have to strong and hard with your life to survive. Have a Wonderful Weekend.
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
4 May 07
Thanks. Sorry to hear some of your friends desserted you in time of need. If it was me, those would be hurts I would not want to recall or judge others by. I mean I would not let those past memories keep me from finding new friends.
4 people like this
• Canada
4 May 07
A lot of people are haunted by their past, thats very true. However, I've found that I feel a lot better about myself and things that have happened when I let go, forgive, and move on. In order to move on, I have to forgive, whether that be forgiving hurts that others have caused, or forgiving myself for hurting others. Forgiving brings me the closure I need in order to let it go and move on from it. I don't think I'll ever forget the past, but if I can forgive, all is good in my world.
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
4 May 07
I think that is very true, the part about forgiving others as well as yourself. That is not always easy to do, but is well worth the feelings of peace that come with forgiving.
3 people like this
@thefuture (1749)
• Nigeria
4 May 07
Yea that's right. So many people are been hunted by the past. I know how difficult it is to forget about the past, but it is possible to forget about the past, it all depends on you. You should consider this; the more you look behind, the less you go ahead. Friend you have to let go all that have happened and start something new, I know it's not easy, but just give it a try OK? Thanks for this discussion and do have a nice day ahead.
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
4 May 07
I have been working on that very thng. Thanks for the support.
3 people like this
@cherylmae (173)
• Philippines
4 May 07
well, you could have an amnesia.. its the best way to forget your past.. lol!
4 people like this
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
4 May 07
I never thought of that. Having amnesia introduces a whole new set of circumstances. Thanks.
3 people like this
@Marie2473 (8512)
• Sweden
5 May 07
I would love to forget my past. My past contains alot of pain and is actually horrible. sometimes my past limits my life right now, so to be able to erase it all would be great. My past however has helped me form me into the person that I am today and I actually like myself now, so that I would not wanna change. All people have a past - good or bad and we all just have to learn how to live with it.
3 people like this
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
5 May 07
Good ideas. Learning how to live with your past and how to treat it. Sorry to hear of your pain. I hope you can let those memories go.
2 people like this
@easy888 (10405)
• Australia
4 May 07
Hello, i think no one can forget about the past ,but the point is how we treat our experience in our past,some people will get stuck on it and always regret on the wrong decision they made, for me,i will keep them in mind and so that they can remind me what to do when similar situations arise. My motto is to review the past, focus on the present and plan for the future.
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
4 May 07
Thanks for that input. It seems like you have a great way to look at things. I can agree that remembering certains things is needed to keep from repeating mistakes.
3 people like this
• India
5 May 07
Offcourse it's not possible to forget the instantly, But yes as the time passes you an forget it. other way of forgetting it to involve yourself with other important work.
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
5 May 07
Thanks. I don't fully agree with you about instantly forgetting the past. I think it might be possible.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
5 May 07
I don't think that you can forget your past instantly. How i wish everything would be forgotten in just a snap of your fingers. Actually, i really don't know if it is really impossible for you to forget something that has been a part of you. Sometimes, the harder part is when there are a lot of things around you reminds you of your past. Like you, i find it hard to forget things cause everytime i'm alone, memories keep on running in my mind freely and i could remember everything as if it just happened yesterday. But you know what, this sad memories should not keep you from being happy instead, take it as a lesson to make you stronger and think possibly that without being hurt, you will never appreciate true happiness. I just though of something, i think it's possible to forget your past but the bad thing is, you will even forget your present and even your name. Are you aware of Amnesia? Or the Alzheimer's disease?(i hope i got the right spelling).. hehe. Well it sounds silly but i assure you it can help you forget the past. lol
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
5 May 07
Thanks for your post. I agree that your surroundings can help trigger past memories. I hope I don't have Alzheimer's or Amnesia...neither is a pleasant prospect.
2 people like this
@mohit1123 (564)
• India
5 May 07
Its really difficult to get over my past. I usually dont forget my past
3 people like this
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
5 May 07
Thanks. Forgetting can indeed be difficult.
1 person likes this
@liyan97 (2127)
• Northern Mariana Islands
4 May 07
There is no way that I could let the past "melt away" because I feel that every experience that we have not only helps us grow spiritually but also shapes us into the person we are today. With every happiness, pain and mistake comes a change in you life! How do let go of something that has made an impact in your life?
3 people like this
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
5 May 07
Good point. How to let go? What about when the pain and mistakes keep you stuck in the past?
2 people like this
@liyan97 (2127)
• Northern Mariana Islands
5 May 07
I Know what you mean, my three kids are all four years apart. At some point in my life I have felt stuck, but have always found a loop whole to overcome it......I have been single for a year now and I must admitt that my un-willingness to move on is due to my past, but I also have faith that I will overcome it. I also believe that everything happens for a reason and as soon as the "BIG PICTURE" becomes clear to me, my pain will still be there but my ability to forgive with provide me with a better understanding of life and a brighter future whith each day that passes.
2 people like this
@050984 (56)
• China
5 May 07
forget about the past with the instantly is imposible bcause the past already had in our life and we cant forget about the past maybe we just can to create that become the memory
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
5 May 07
Thanks for answering.
• Malaysia
5 May 07
to me, it's a bit hard to instantly forget the past if whatever that happened was something big and it broke my heart badly. it's also hard to let go if it involves someone dear to me. some things are easy to let go, to be forgiven and forget about, but there are some things..the wounds never seem to heal..
3 people like this
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
5 May 07
Imagine how quickly those wounds would heal if you let those past memoeries go forever. At this point, I see no reason why it can't be done. Thanks.
1 person likes this
@worthy (2413)
• India
5 May 07
it is the past which helps building our experince...so i gues its very important to remember instances from the past.sometimes, when we are tired or preoccupied, we tend to forget things instantly. in other situations, we remember things related to our life and the lives of the people for whom we care. so i guess we should remember our past!
3 people like this
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
5 May 07
Maybe remeber the past when it serves us well and forget about it when it does not.
1 person likes this
@roque20 (518)
• Philippines
5 May 07
I cant forget the past easily because past is part of my life and i just take it as a memories.I have many happy memories and bad memories and every time when i am about to sleep i do think of those past and think of the future also.
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
5 May 07
Thanks for responding. I think sometimes we see our pasts as not so good and we project those memories into the future by worrying it will be a repeat of the past.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
5 May 07
Hardly say to forget your past especially linked memories were so beautiful and memorable. But there's time for everything, I know that time will come that I could overcome the past and face the reality at present. Being with myself, family, true friends and God whom makes me intact in all aspects of my life. That's why I keep still and going.....
3 people like this
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
5 May 07
Thanks for your ideas.
1 person likes this
• Malaysia
5 May 07
haha.. yes.. i think forgetting the past is a difficult task to do.. but i'm still trying hard to forget the past.. actually it's really impossible to forget about the past.. how can you actually forget the moment you step into this world.. right? .. i think i would be much better if i can totally forget about my past.. as i don't have a happy childhood... i think i will be a better person if i don't have my past to trouble me.. and maybe.. i can find the happiness that i always wanted... yes.. exactly.. many are haunted by their pasts and this keeps them from living fully and being happy.. agree =)
3 people like this
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
5 May 07
Perhaps it is not about trying to forget something, but thinking in a certain way. Like thinking in the present moment.When you put your attention on the present, the past cannot enter your thoughts.
1 person likes this
@ellie26 (4139)
• Malaysia
5 May 07
We cannot instantly forget the past. Especially those who leave a great impact on our life. I try to forget about the past and move on to the future. As hard as I try, I still have the memory of the past. So, the haunting will never fade and it just go for awhile. "Forget the past and live in the present"
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
5 May 07
I understand what you are saying. Perhaps there are different ways we can remeber the past so that it is not so haunting.
1 person likes this
• United States
5 May 07
I have tryed and tryed to forget the past but i just can't do it. I wouldn't necessarily say that if i let the past melt away it would make me feel better about myself and life. Most of my past events don't haunt me by bad feeling so i don't have to much to worry about.
3 people like this
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
5 May 07
Maybe the key to let the past go is to stay focused on the present. Thanks.
1 person likes this