The Burden of Our Past

The past weighs me down. Do I have to carry it with me forever?

What We Carry

We carry our past with us. It is a given. So much of our journey is understanding and releasing the past. Even once we acknowledge it, it is still with us. As we embark on psychological, religious or spiritual paths, much of our focus is on past experiences and how they affect us. Were we looking for approval, doubting ourselves, needing control of ourselves and others or facing trauma?

Whatever our past wrought for us, it is key to who we are. Often, root causes of our pain were deeply hidden at first. We developed the means to cope with dysfunction as a child. As we became adults, those means became so innate to who we are they were not recognized by our adult selves. The hero’s journey is about knowing this, uncovering what has formed us and letting go of anything that does not serve us.

Understanding and releasing the burdens of our past asks a lot of us. Those with courage take it on. Others turn away and allow the past to continue to control them. The process is challenging. We go through trials and challenges, gain insight, build courage and resilience and soon return to our true selves, no longer defined by what we experienced in the past.

Letting the Past Go

So how do we let go of our past? Ha! There is no easy answer. We recognize our need to do so and stay open to what our journey brings. There are many tools and many paths. Some study with a teacher. Some read. Some work with a therapist or healer who can help them see the path and themselves. None of us can get away from the need to look deeply within ourselves.

Parts of the path are walked alone. We cannot escape that. Borrowed knowledge from teachers and others will not get us to where we are going. Experience brings us to true knowledge of ourselves. Perhaps we encounter a “good enemy” – someone who challenges us and, in doing so, shows us where we need to grow. Or we dig deep and understand how our experiences led us to be who we are now.

This path is not for the faint-hearted. It truly is a hero’s journey. But once embarked on, we encounter guides and wisdom that helps us through its challenges. Some say that life is a schoolhouse. That learning about ourselves, letting go of our past and becoming our true selves is why we are here. That fulfillment and peace lie within the horo’s journey.