Johnny Cash said it best: “You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.” Building on our failures essentially means that they are not actually failures at all. In fact, they become part of the foundation of success.
Try to think of your past as a child who needs to go to bed. Take the time to ensure it is safely tucked in the folds of your thoughts without judgment of what it might need. If you find the sleeping past needs a glass of water or a night time hug, then tend to it and quietly close the door behind you just as you would with a child.
Tending to your past emotions and allowing them to sleep without interrupting their process will leave you more alert in your waking life. After all, we cannot expect to be fully alive in the moment if we are still standing at the door of our past, keeping it awake.
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