{"id":670,"date":"2019-07-28T19:27:26","date_gmt":"2019-07-28T23:27:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=670"},"modified":"2022-04-13T22:20:23","modified_gmt":"2022-04-14T02:20:23","slug":"how-to-stop-living-in-the-past","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-stop-living-in-the-past\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Stop Living in the Past: The Real Solution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you find yourself constantly living in the past? Do you feel guilt or regret over past actions, or do you dwell on pains and sadness from the past? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living in the past is holding you back<\/a> from being present now and enjoying the most out of every moment you have. Want to stop living in the past? Learn how to do so in our detailed guide, from The Power of Now<\/em> by Eckhart Tolle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Why You Live in the Past<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When you live in the past, you feel guilt, regret, resentment, sadness, bitterness, and unforgiveness. You also carry old hurt from your pain-body, the invisible entity of cumulative pain you have experienced in your life. The pain body<\/a> is like a parasite, feeding on negativity and driving us to think and act in negative ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, someone who has experienced abandonment is likely to be sensitive to comments or situations that trigger that pain. In response, her pain-body may push her to attack others by lashing out, or attack herself by blaming herself and feeling victimized. This is an example of living in the past in a way that distracts from living in the moment. (We\u2019ll talk more about the pain-body and how to overcome it in the full summary.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Ego is Causing You to Live in the Past<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Why are so many of us driving ourselves crazy thinking about things we can\u2019t control, and distracting ourselves from the real moment we are experiencing right now? The inner voice in your head<\/a>, called the ego, is responsible for this endless internal monologue<\/a>. The ego is a part of your mind that tries to control your thinking<\/a>, emotions, and behavior. <\/strong>Your ego<\/a> causes you to live in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your ego projects a false identity, made up of your membership in groups and communities (such as gender, nationality, profession, and religion) and your past pain and experiences. The ego tells you that your memories, experiences, religion, upbringing, education, career, gender, political beliefs, and nationality make you who you are<\/a>.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All these aspects of the ego-created identity are based on external forces. If you believe that these external factors \u2014 like life experiences, profession, and political affiliation \u2014 make you you<\/em>, then any new experiences, career changes, and challenges to your political beliefs have the potential to shake your identity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, your ego is distracting you from connecting with your true self<\/a> or Being<\/strong>. Your Being is a purer energy that lives within you, unaffected by external forces and circumstances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Stop Living in the Past by Disconnecting from Ego<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can only be your true self<\/a> when you are present, when your thoughts are not focused on the past, future, or the ego-created false identity. By connecting with your true self through presence, you access inner peace.<\/strong> Disconnecting from your ego is how you stop living in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ego, then, prevents you from being present and from enjoying a state of inner peace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can disconnect from your ego and connect with your true self<\/a> by observing your thoughts<\/a>, as if you were a third-party witness to your own mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n