So I was thinking..

I put a quote on Facebook early today. Sometimes people wonder if my status are just some witty quotes I read passingly or if it was something that came from me and my experiences. I try to take a bit from both...but in this case..it was all me.

"Don't let your past define you, in fact all you have to do is let your past do what it should do - Put things in perspective so you can see how much we have all grown"

In my life and my travels I've had the fortunate chance to meet so many people from so many different backgrounds. And of all the diverse stories that I have heard, 1 point stays true. Everyone has become the person that they are, based on what they have been through. Is that I bad thing? Absolutely not...but the moment that people never take the time to look back and see how it developed them, it can be a slippery ride without breaks.

You always have a choice, you chose to be sad, you chose to be happy. You chose to smile, to laugh, and to enjoy life. People often use their childhood, or negative past situations to define how the rest of their lives should be. And to me, that just might not be the right mindset. I remember as I stepped into my life as a 20 year old, things just clicked. I said to myself that no longer would I let my past define me. I would only allow it to be part of my story in the end of the day. That it would make my story that much better and more interesting for those who were fortunate to be in the know. That was it, it was a simple choice and I haven't looked back. It was like finding this lost secret that was so obvious, the smack that came from it left a mark...granted more mentally then physically.

I had every reason to use my past as an excuse. But do I? I sure hope not. I can't say that my past and all that I got out of it is tucked away in some magical volt that only spews out the good memories, but I was able to learn from it, like where I came from, the mistakes I made as a young adult, and now I'm able to fully appreciate what life has to offer. I wouldn't take back anything that I was a part of. No regrets, only memories I can grow from.

I am writing this is because I see so many people simply repeating a cycle that they already know the outcome for. Parents who had children at a young age seemingly repeats itself in future generations, relationships that people find themselves in that they know are no good, but because it's what they are use to they allow it to continue. We are all worth more then that. Don't you agree??

It takes a lot to let go, and start off new. Sometimes the best person to imitate to a certain degree is a newborn. They are experiencing everything for the first time, so even though its unrealistic to actually do so...why not just try. You never know..the second "first" time might just be exactly what you need to let the past do what it's meant to do. Let it be the past, so you can begin living again, for the present.