Your past matters—even though the personal growth industry is obsessed with the future you at the expense of the past you. In that world, the only real change and movement in your life come from looking forward, setting goals, and just doing it as I talked about in Episode 148.

But I believe that it’s OK to have a past. 

It’s OK to be perfectly imperfect.

It’s OK to share stories from your past. 

It’s OK to have trauma and pain in your past. 

It’s OK to have a joyful past, too.

The bottom line? You cannot ignore your past. 

If you do, it will creep up on you in the personification of your Monger as your parents or in the way you talk to your kids or how you interact with your spouse. Your past plays a role in your current life—period. 

It’s immensely powerful to face our stories—to look them dead in the face and slowly release their power through patience and compassion for ourselves. That’s how you live happier.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• The first step in the process of not letting your past control your life
• Practical ways to move through the stories from your past that are holding you back
• Why we often tell our stories like a news bulletin—drama and all—and how we need to focus more on how something made us feel
• How you can learn from your past and make peace with it

Links:

• Coach in Your Pocket
• The Happier Approach Book
• Live Happier Website
• Instagram: @nancyjane_livehappier

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Helping people with High Functioning Anxiety is a personal mission for me. I have a special place in my heart for this struggle because it’s both something I dealt with unknowingly for years, and bec

Visit: https://NancyJaneSmith.com
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