Clearing
the Memory Banks
“The
past lives in you as memories, but memories in themselves are not a
problem. In fact, it is through memory that we learn from the past
and from past mistakes. It is only when memories, that is to say,
thoughts about the past, take you over completely that they turn into
a burden, turn problematic, and become part of your sense of self.”
Eckhart
Tolle (A New Earth)
It
was William Faulkner who wrote, “The past is never dead. It's not
even past.” (Requiem for a Nun) And this much is true, we
would be lost without our memories. If we were to wake up tomorrow
with no memory of our past, we would be like a ship without a rudder.
Our memories anchor us in time and place. They remind us of who we
are and from whence we sprung. Memories, in and of themselves, are not
a problem, even when they are unhappy.
The
problem comes when we keep painful memories alive and in focus; when we continue to rekindle the original traumatic emotions each time we entertain the thought.
It's like scraping the scab off a wound to prevent it from healing.
We humans accumulate old emotions like scrapbooks, and over time they
become heavy and cumbersome. We tend to dwell on our losses, rather
than our gains. We relive injustice and give new life to old tragedy
by recounting it again and again in our thoughts. The energy of
negative experience hangs about us like a leaded shroud.
According
to Tolle, we could learn to “flap our wings,” and shake off our
painful memories by staying in the present moment. When we are not
focused on past mistakes or tragedies, whether they occurred yesterday or
many years ago, we are freed up to be here now. All our energy is
available to power us through our day and keep our body-mind healthy.
Today,
if you find yourself drifting back to your past and dwelling in
painful memories, gently bring your focus back to here and now, to
this present moment. It's not magic, but it works.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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