How to Break Free from the Ghosts of Your Past, Present, and Future

The time has come. The Hallmark Channel is playing Christmas movies 24/7 right now, and it inspired me to write this blog. 

One of my favorite Christmas movies is A Christmas Carol. I love a good transformation and redemption story!

I started thinking about the role each ghost played in Scrooge's transformation and how it's easy to let ourselves become equally haunted by events of the past and present which will affect our future unless we can release them. 

First, let's dive into the ghost of the past. 

Sometimes, my clients will ruminate on past events replaying them over and over feeling guilt and regret about what happened.  Sadly, we haven't mastered time travel yet. So, when you continue to replay events in your mind, you're keeping the pain and emotions fresh.

Thinking about old wounds will anchor roots in your subconscious, and it will rehash those feelings if you ever encounter a similar circumstance in the future because your subconscious has no concept of time. To the subconscious, the past and present are exactly the same. So, when you rehash old pain, it becomes fresh pain that you experience in the present. 

This is the dark side of the ghost of the past. However, you can also tap into a beneficial aspect of this ghost when you use the power of nostalgia. If there were great moments from your past, remembering those circumstances and emotions can help you in the present to reconnect with a sense of joy or things that you'd like to reincorporate into the present. 

Since you can't change the past, it isn't helpful to let those old stories destroy your present. Let go of the fear, guilt, and past decisions that don't make you feel good anymore. 

Next, let's jump forward to the ghost of the future. 

The future often feels like the scariest place because we have no idea exactly what it's going to look or feel like. Anything can happen and that makes us feel very unsafe. 

For someone who's haunted this ghost, it causes a lot of anxiety, fear, scarcity, or issues surrounding control. Our unconscious brain has an awful tendency to imagine the worst-case scenario. 

However, if you don't allow this ghost to take you to the dark side, then your future can be an amazing place. When you want to make changes in your life, they begin in the present, but shape your future. Having goals, dreams, and even a vision of what you'd like your life to be like in the future are powerful motivators for change. 

Finally, onto the ghost of the present. 

Your present is partially built on the stories and experiences from your past. When they're retold over and over, they become limiting beliefs that affect your potential in the present. Since your present actions shape the future, it's the most powerful position for healing. 

If we view your past as laying foundations, your present as the building phase, and the future as a place you create that can be fabulous, then anything is possible as long as you get rid of the ghosts!

Those ghosts can bring guilt, regret, and fear if you let them. However, they also show you wonderful things you've forgotten or left behind and the power of creation and potential. So, if you had to choose, would you rather be haunted or empowered?

 If you'd like to make an appointment to release your fear and stories from the past, build your confidence, and tap into your potential, then you can book a session with me HERE. 

April Darley is a Confidence and Resilience Coach specializing in helping overwhelmed women release anxiety and doubt so they can become more confident, decisive, and have better quality relationships with others. Through the Three Brain Realignment Technique (TBRT), you'll learn how to step into your own power, and comfortably deal with life's challenges.