Let Go Of The Past by John Colanzi

Have you ever walked by a low fence and wondered why the dog inside will run to it, but won't jump over, no matter how many times he runs to it barking and growling?

The odds are the dog was placed inside the fence as a puppy. He grows up seeing that fence as being higher than it is.

He learned as a puppy that no matter how many times he tries to clear it, it's just too high.

Over time he gradually tries less often, until eventually he quits trying. He just knows he'll never clear that fence.

The same thing happens to us over the years. We try to reach a goal and fail.

We muster up the courage to try again and fall just short of the mark. Gradually that fence becomes higher in our minds, than it really is.

It's a gradual insidious process and we seldom notice it's happening. Over time that fence becomes more imposing.

Our efforts become a little less enthusiastic. We start building fences in our mind and like that little puppy we begin to break.

We begin a new goal with so many doubts. We just know we won't reach it, and so we don't.

We start thinking to ourselves, I knew I couldn't do it.

Our doubts become a self fulfilling prophecy.

It doesn't have to be that way.

Our failures aren't us. Our limitations are nothing more than fences we've built in our minds.

The cycle can be broken, if we could learn to stop thinking about our past failures and concentrate on the here and now.

There's a story about two monks walking in the woods.

As they approach a small body of water, they notice a young woman afraid to cross the water.

The older monk puts her on his shoulders and carries her across.

When they reach the other side he sets her down and continues on his way.

A little further along on their journey he turns to his younger companion and asks what's bothering him.

The young monk says, "You've broken your vows by touching that young woman."

The other monk replies,"Yes, but I let her go when I was finished helping her, you're still carrying her around."

Are you like the young monk, carrying around your mistakes of the past, or have you learned how to let go and move on.

Stop mistaking your past limitations for who you are.

Let go and move on.

Begin every task as if it were impossible to fail.

You can, if you think you can.

Wishing You Success, John Colanzi