Most days we’re likely not consciously dwelling on the hurt and pain of yesterday. After our initial grief we usually keep our focus moving forward as best as we can. We can’t change the past anyway. But often ghosts from yesterday still linger and influence how we show up. And we might have to revisit these past ghosts to find the freedom we need to live well today.
For instance, our first major breakup, being cut from a team, or being publicly embarrassed in some way might all be relatively normal experiences in life. As such, we lick our initial wounds and move on – not thinking much more on the incident.
But these moments also create an opportunity for ghosts to sneak in. While we understand intellectually these things happen, we also make a commitment never to allow ourselves to be so vulnerable and experience such heartache again.
As such, we might become controlling, dismissive, or otherwise guarded as our defensive mechanisms against such pain. And because the ghosts of yesterday are so subtle, it’s easy to assume that this is just the way we are. We don’t realize how much we’ve changed in reaction to our past hurts.
And, to be fair, many ghosts can remain hidden. While these unseen forces still influence us, it can be for the better – making us more mindful and wise in our life choices.
But this is not the case when we repeatedly find ourselves stuck or in dead-end situations. These are often clues more is going on, and revisiting yesterday’s ghosts is not a bad place to start. This exposes the ways in which we’re still playing to the people and events of yesterday to protect ourselves. And coming to peace with our past frees us to consider better ways of showing up today.
In the end, past wounds aren’t always quick to die and can often still haunt us as ghosts from yesterday – influencing how we show up without us realizing it. And it’s time to clean house whenever you find yourself stuck in the same soul-draining patterns of life.
