Dwelling On The Past

I have spent several years of my life dwelling on the past.  I had a hard time letting go of the pain of my childhood and first marriage.  The feelings of hurt and self doubt left me with scars so deep that I began building walls of protection around myself.    I decided that I would never let anyone get close enough to hurt me ever again.  I can honestly say that it is a hard thing to do, but I felt it was necessary at that time in my life to be able to ensure my survival.  No matter what situation would arise, the same old feelings from my past would surface.  I recently realized that holding on to these  feelings for years has actually kept me frozen in time.  The past will always be a part of who I was but it does not define who I am now!  Every one of us has a past that has been filled with hurt, pain or regret, but it is up to us to take those experiences and learn and grow from them.  I recently decided to write a letter of resignation to my past.  I immediately felt a sense of relief and happiness that I was making a conscious decision to let go.  Putting it on paper made it easier to let all the feelings that have been bottled up inside of me out.  I can't explain the weight that is somehow lifted off of your shoulders.  A fresh start to your new life is a great feeling