3 Ways to Pitch Your Personal Mental Baggage for Good

Tips for releasing your doubts and fears — guilt-free

Photo by Jordan Palmer on Unsplash

An acquaintance of mine is always stuck in the past.

His life view — and the decisions he makes — are the result of constantly re-living experiences that occurred long ago. 

While he’s a decent, even likeable person, the inability to move forward without first consulting with his inner gypsy about previous events better laid to rest seems to hold him captive in a constant state of uncertainty.

Unfortunately, this type of cautionary mindset is all too common.

For many people, deferring to a state of mental hesitation creates a barrier to progress, because nothing much ever changes in their lives. 

Even worse, these timid souls become less confident about considering new opportunities or pursuing personal goals — unless there’s a guarantee of success.

The problem? Embracing this rigid, steadfast strategy can have a paralyzing effect.

By holding onto the toxic debris of past mistakes — and their consequences — our “forward motion” button remains stuck in a hold position. 

Why? The resulting negative self-talk from revisiting all the “what if’s,” “shouldn’t have’s,” and “if only I hadn’t” internal arguments tends to create a circuitous emotional loop that won’t let go.