Putting the Past in Proper Perspective No matter what you have done or what challenges you have experienced, they are but memories in your personal history that cannot, of themselves, create pain for you now -- unless you keep them alive in your awareness! Often times, because of past training, we are tempted to judge an experience as bad. Once labeled, we smugly stuff it in a mental box and complacently file it in some unconscious place. Thinking we are cleansed of it, we brush ourselves off and go merrily on our way. Because it was a "bad" experience, we will make sure not to let it happen again. Dismissing it too quickly is not smart. Life's challenge is to understand what has happened in the past so that as we discover the principle of cause and effect at work. It is then that we learn to direct our lives toward more positive outcomes. Don’t try to steal mistakes from others (fix it for them), for you are also diminishing their growth. Blaming and guilt are triggering thoughts that encourage quick categorizing and dismissal. These are traits of our civilization. People love to blame others because they erroneously believe that when they place responsibility elsewhere, they themselves are off the hook. WRONG! Our lesson is self-discipline, to take responsibility for our lives and to put aside negative reactions as they are based on unrealistically expectations. No one is perfect. (That is a good thing.) That doesn’t keep us from striving to be and do better daily. If you develop a conscious commitment to grow, and evolve, you can look honestly at any past situation and discern its significance relative to your personal education. This is our challenge, and also a way of seeing a bigger picture of life. Some lessons are costly while others not-so-much. As you strive for this broader perspective, you discover new freedom. Pain is diminished when we consider the growth (maturity) achieved in an experience. Look for the lesson and you will find it, and then each past experience, relationship, situation, mistake(??) just become part of the continuum.