Try -- Writer's Poke #417

One of the challenges of being human is learning how to deal with our emotions. Life is difficult, no matter who you are. And although I might not have lived your life or shared all of your experiences, that doesn’t mean that I can’t emphasize with the challenges you’ve faced.

No, I may not know you, but you and I are both human, and so we share a human perspective. We both recognize how difficult it can be to let go of the traumatic experiences we carry around with us from our pasts. The traumas may not be the same, either in kind or degree, but does anyone doubt that we share painful experiences? It comes with being human.

These experiences shape who we are, but we cannot allow them to dictate who we become. The past is only productive if we learn from our experiences. Once we learn, we must find ways to let go and move forward. Holding on to the past only disables us from being anything other than what we once were.

The past experiences that we like, we should build upon. The past experiences that we hate, we should learn from and move beyond. Yes, it is easy for me to write this, and it is a lot more difficult for me to always heed my own advice. But I choose to try. I don’t consider defeat to be a viable option.

In what ways are you moving beyond the restraints of your past?

“At every crisis in one’s life, it is absolute salvation to have some sympathetic friend to whom you can think aloud without restraint or misgiving.” -- Woodrow Wilson

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