Is there a thought or a memory that holds you back?
Is it something you said or was said to you?
Is it something you did or was done to you?
Whatever it was,
Right or wrong,
It happened in the past and you can't change the past.
You can only learn from it and move forward.
Holding onto or reliving negative memories from the past only holds us back and causes unnecessary pain and suffering.
The more weight we give these memories,
The more time we spend reliving them,
The more joy they will take from our lives.
The Buddha said that holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else.
You are the one who gets burned.
It's time to let those old disabling beliefs go,
Learn the lesson that they provided for you and move forward,
Leaving that event in the past.
With that in mind,
If you are ready,
Relax,
Get comfortable in a quiet area,
Either sitting up straight or lying down with your arms by your sides,
And if you like,
Close your eyes and let the worries of the day go.
Notice your breath in and out,
Breathing deeply and slowly,
Just breathing in and out.
You are becoming more relaxed,
As you breathe and continue to relax,
Slow your inhale down to a count of four.
Pause when you have filled your lungs,
And then exhale again for a count of four,
Pausing when your lungs are empty,
And continue breathing slowly and deeply.
See the thought in your mind that is holding you back.
Know that whatever it is,
A thought,
Something that was said,
Or something that happened,
It's in the past.
It cannot be undone.
There was a lesson in what occurred.
Can you see what that lesson may have held for you?
Our past is only for us to learn from.
It is not a place to become stuck in.
Everything that we have experienced is a tool for us.
We learn from what occurs during our life journey.
We learn from the positive events,
But we also learn from those that bring us pain or discomfort.
Often we learn our greatest lessons from the challenges in life.
Now go to the thought that this meditation began with.
Wishing for an easier life is a life with fewer lessons.
Consider wishing for greater skills,
The skills to deal with adversity and the abilities to move forward.
While some challenges in life may be large or seemingly unfair,
The vast majority of the things we get caught up in are minor.
Ask yourself if the thought that brought you into this meditation will matter in five years.
I like to think that most of the events in life fade with time.
Our mind is a powerful tool.
It can let go of the pain associated with an event.
Sometimes it requires time.
Sometimes it only requires letting go.
What you must ask yourself is,
Do I want to deal with this forever or do I want to release it to my higher power?
Take a few moments now to identify the lessons that this thought provided for you.
Hold on to those lessons.
Let go of the rest.
Perhaps you have learned forgiveness for a wrong that was done to you.
Maybe you learned patience when things did not occur as quickly as you expected them to.
Or have you learned kindness in a world that can seem cruel?
Have you learned self-respect after years of putting yourself down?
What is the lesson that could be there behind the thought or feeling that you have held onto?
Take a few moments now to release the thoughts that have been holding you back.
Just let them go.
Be grateful for the lessons they brought.
Let the sound of the waves just wash those thoughts away.
Let them go.
Never to return.
Now that you have released your thoughts from the past,
You can move forward,
Free and unencumbered by them.
Should more thoughts,
Beliefs,
Or past events arise for you,
Know that you can honor the lessons they brought forth and return here at any time to release them.
You emerge from this meditation wiser,
Able to learn lessons from the events in your life,
Learning what brings forth happiness and what brings pain.
You learn what you want to repeat and what you do not want to experience again.
Once you learn the lesson,
You can choose to live it again and again,
Like the walk on a beach or a long mountain brook.
These actions often let you experience a sense of peace.
But how many times do you want to grasp that hot cold?
All you need to do is choose not to.
If you see a pattern in your life,
Then reflect on it.
Study it from your own perspective.
What is the lesson?
Transfer the negative by recognizing it as an opportunity to learn.
And let the rest simply go.
