According to Lao Tzu, “If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.” On Sunday, we had a Full Moon Eclipse in Scorpio. This full moon is all about purging, cleansing, and releasing. This week on my Instagram, I’ll be sharing 6 Steps to Let Go of the Past. If you’ve been struggling to let go of the past, make sure you head over there to check out the step-by-step process. Today, I want to share how to recognize if you are stuck in the past.
If you’re not sure if you are hanging onto the past, there are a number of ways to recognize being stuck in the past. The first step of letting go of the past is acceptance, so before you can move on, you first have to recognize and accept where you’re at. With the energy of this full moon, I encourage you to read through these signs and start plucking out the overgrown weeds that are stealing your energy.
You keep talking about the past or a person in your past over and over again. When you’re doing this the people around you might become uncomfortable and shy away from the conversation. You might notice yourself losing relationships, this could be by your own choice or theirs. Relationships are always a reflection of ourselves, so if you find yourself wanting to move away from a relationship because the person is shutting you down, not listening, or shutting down in the conversation, it may be time to reflect on if you are the one playing the victim. I also want to acknowledge that just because someone is shutting down on you, doesn’t mean you are playing the victim. This is about honest self-reflection.
You keep trying to figure out why. Why something happened to you in the past. Why someone treated you the way they did or always treats you the way they do. Why the same thing keeps happening to you over and over again. Or why you keep getting stuck doing the same behavior over and over again. A certain amount of reflection is good, but at a certain point, we just have to choose to live our lives differently. Constantly asking why and trying desperately to figure it out are signs that you are stuck in victim mode and are therefore stuck in the past.
You’re seeking closure. Finding closure so we can move on is an internal process. If we seek closure externally then we are stuck in the past. This could mean holding on to receiving an apology from someone, trying to reconcile a relationship, trying to get someone back, and more.
You take things personally. When you take things personally, everything everyone does is a personal affront to you. When we’re stuck in the past, we make assumptions about other people’s behavior based on past experiences that we’ve been through. For me, this is super clear to me that I’m stuck in this when I know that the person I’m interacting with has good intentions, but I’m constantly triggered by something they do or say. People who care about you will work with you to overcome these triggers. It’s here that we need to take responsibility for how the past affects our own behavior in our interactions.
You’re consumed with negative self-talk. Speaking badly of yourself is a clear sign that you’re stuck in the past. Almost always negative self-talk is the voice of someone or something in our past that told us that there is something wrong with who we are. To overcome negative self-talk we have to acknowledge the things from the past that our repeating thoughts point us to.
You hold onto emotions like guilt, shame, bitterness, anger, or resentment. All of these emotions are related to the past. It’s impossible for these emotions to be related to the present because the moments that just happened are already in the past. In order to heal from the past, we have to heal the emotions that bind us.
You keep performing the same behaviors over and over again. Doing the same thing over and over and holding onto old patterns is a way of being stuck in the past. If you’ve been trying to change a behavior, but keep circling back to it, it’s time to examine what you’re still holding onto from your past. Letting go of the past is key to changing our behavior and being who we want to be in the present moment.
There are so many things and nuances that are key indicators of living in the past. If any of these resonated with you, or you know you are stuck in the past but aren’t sure how to move past it. You’re invited to book a Complimentary Clarity Call or Intuitive Healing Session with me. In our Intuitive Healing Sessions, I read your energy to share with you where your blockages are and guide you to release trapped energy so that you can move forward.
With love and light,
Natasha
