#27 The Past: Is Yours Holding You Back?

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Are you trapped in stories from your past? That painful conversation from years ago, the mistake you can't forgive yourself for, or even those "better times" you wish you could return to? This episode dives deep into how our thoughts about past experiences—both traumatic and wonderful—can keep us from fully experiencing our present lives.

When we continuously revisit past hurts or disappointments, we're not just remembering them—we're actively recreating those emotional experiences in our present moment. Each time we think those familiar thoughts, we strengthen the neural pathways that make these thought patterns our mind's default setting. Like reaching for the clothes at the top of our drawer because they're most accessible, our brains naturally gravitate toward our most practiced thought patterns.

The revolutionary idea I explore in this episode is simple yet profound: the only part of your past that exists today is your memory and thoughts about it. While counseling helps us heal from past wounds and traumas (which is essential work), coaching helps us decide how we want to think about those experiences moving forward. This distinction makes all the difference between staying stuck and creating the life you truly want.

Through personal stories, thought experiments, and practical examples, I'll show you how taking complete ownership of your thoughts about the past—whether it was something that happened to you or something you did—is the ultimate form of empowerment. You'll discover that what happened in your past, good or bad, has no power over you except the power you give it through your thoughts.

Join me next week as we explore the power of the present moment and what's uniquely available to us when we fully inhabit the now. In the meantime, I'm offering free 30-minute coaching sessions to podcast listeners—check the show notes to sign up and discover what it looks like to live your life with purpose, on purpose.

https://calendly.com/smurph923-sm/free-mini-session

https://sharonkcoaching.com/