Life is too short.
Yet time is abundant.
Waiting patiently for my creative use of it.
Silently filling my wallet with 86,400 each day.

Now & again it gently reminds me,
This is no inheritance, and there are no late fees.
What’s there is there.
What’s gone is gone.

There’s an unlimited amount of good to be found here.
Why then do I convince myself that everything is bad.
Why then do I reassure myself that this is all empty.
Why then do I persuade myself into thinking that it needs fixing.

Guilt, shame, regret, trauma.
Laid in a neat pile.
Hurts, resentments, limiting beliefs, old patterns.
Gently layered atop.

Lugging these suitcases around everywhere I go.
Silently adding the hurts and embarrassments.
Constantly looking at my past,
Through my eyes filled with limitations.

I unburden myself.
I take a load off my body and mind.
When I see that my usual behavior is causing me trouble,
I look for alternative approaches to conflicts and challenges.

I unburden myself.
Why drag my suitcase around behind me,
When I can actually ride it.
Trading my lens of limitations,
For a whole new spectrum of contributions.

I let go of resentments.
I challenge my self-limiting beliefs.
I break free from my old patterns.
I choose to see my past from a place of contribution.

Our minds have the tendency to delete our victories and distort our perceptions.
What if today I changed this theme?
Thinking about all the times I’ve won,
Instead of remembering my pains and struggles.

I unburden myself.
Translating my past experiences into fuel.
Looking for that glimpse of genius in me.
Using my past as a tool to gain clarity and confidence.

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Questions to Reflect Upon:

• How am I looking at my past currently?
• How can I tell if a barrier is self-imposed?
• How does making excuses weigh me down?
• What has to happen so that I can start using my past only to reinforce my contributions, strengths, and growing experiences?