Moving onto a better you

I used to be, and occasionally still am, a person who holds onto the past and lets it define me. When I was 14, I entered a national piano competition, experienced stage fright for the first time in my life, and then decided that I hated public performances and never performed publicly on a piano ever since. Funny thing that, considering I performed on violin numerous times after. I even performed at the Hamer Hall.

I also had a friend that I held dear as a sister. When we were younger, we envisioned that we would do many things together, but when we hit our twenties, some issues arose in our friendship, and it fell apart. For the longest time, I held a lot of hate and resentment towards her, and myself. All this happened when I wasn't mentally well either, so I did not deal with it in a healthy way.

What happens when you no longer see eye to eye?
(Source)

Louise Hay points out very wisely in her bestseller, "You Can Heal Your Life" that the past doesn't care if it hurts you. Often, the people in the past aren't even aware of the pain they have caused. I think she's definitely hit the nail on the head... I think I am more responsible than my past is, at prolonging this pain.

It has been an ongoing process, but I used Louise's exercises to help deal with this and to let go.

Exercise: Dissolving Resentment 
One of her exercises involved visualizing the person who has caused you pain, and to think about all these amazing things happening to them, and to see them happy. And then to let that image fade, and to see you having all these amazing things happen, and that you leave, smiling and happy.

I did this. I imagined that she had all these amazing things happen in her life. I do sincerely want to wish her well. I took dissolving this resentment beyond these exercises, into my meditation and yoga practice. I am yet to reach that stage where I can visualize good things happening to me. I think I'm just too scared and/or believe that I'm undeserving of such things... but we all have hidden demons to work on.

Exercise: Forgiveness
I also worked on forgiving her and myself. This involved repeating a visualization of forgiving her and hearing her response, and then forgiving myself.

We all have chains that bind us. We have a choice of whether we would like to severe or keep these chains. There was a time when I would actively seek to maintain a bind or a grudge, but life is so much easier when we just choose to let go and focus on the present and what really matters.

For more activities like these and words of wisdom, you can check out Louise Hay's website here. I also strongly recommend subscribing to Abraham-Hicks daily quotes for inspiration.

I am also giving away Louise Hay's book, You Can Heal Your Life. This giveaway closes next week, so don't miss out!