Most of you feel tormented by your bad memories, aren’t you?

There is a hidden baggage of bad memories in everyone’s life.

I too have bad memories which torment me to this date, just thinking about it. Those were the days of endless nerve wracking problems. I lost my husband to renal failure. I was knee deep in debt. I was literally bulldozed by the menacing visits of loan sharks.

Days of agony and terror. Something which I do not want to live through, ever again in my life.

I am sure I am not alone in feeling bitter about the unhappiness and trauma experienced in the past.

Many of you must have undergone tremendous bitterness in some phase of your life. Certain trauma in your past can never be forgotten by you and you often find it impossible to forgive the person behind it.

Bad memories digs deep into your mind and make you very unhappy and sad. You find it impossible to live your present life peacefully as your mind links the bad things that happened to you years ago as the culprit behind your present day sufferings.

What kind of bad memories make you feel lost and forlorn?

1. Financial blunders

Your past financial blunders might be the reason for you becoming a pauper today. You beat your head against the wall and rue your financial downslide. You look at the clever money management of your colleagues\friends\relatives.

You feel traumatized that you were a fool to have mismanaged your hard-earned money.

You are terrified whether you will ever regain from your financial downfall.

Your financial mistakes shatters your self-esteem.

You feel hopeless and helpless.

Your financial mistakes is one of your top bad memories.

2. Bad memories about your broken marriage

Your broken marriage makes you feel emotionally shattered.

You understand rather late that you could have made your relationship work.

You are anguished that you have lost your family life through the wrong way you lived it.

You look longingly at the happy family life being enjoyed by your colleagues\friends\relatives.

You consider yourself very unlucky.

3. Bad memories about your deceit

You might have cheated the trust of a friend\relative.

You feel sorry to have cheated your friend\colleague who trusted you.

You struggle with a guilt ridden conscience. You find it impossible to forgive yourself.

4. Bad memories about the hurt you inflicted

There are many a time you hurt people by uttering harsh words.

Your bitter words destroys your friendship\relationship. Now, you are ashamed of yourself.

The hurting words you uttered unthinkingly reverberates in your ears destroying your peace and happiness.

5. Bad memories about lost opportunities

Life gives you many opportunities to achieve success. Most of you never pay any attention to it, as you never really want to work hard.

But when the same opportunity is well used by another person, you rue your decision of ignoring it. It remains a bad memory all through your life.

So, some bad memories rekindle your feeling of guilt about your past.

Can you live through your life if you carry your bad memories around you as an unwanted luggage?

You will not have a moment of peace if you do so. You must forget your bad memories about your past and move ahead in your life.

Are you unworthy just because you committed mistakes in your past?

You are very human to err. But it would be inhuman if you keep repeating your mistakes consistently. Unless you remodel your life for the better, your guilt can take over your life.

What happens when you unable to forget your bad memories?

• You become depressed.
• You think you are an unworthy person.
• You have panic attacks.
• You are unable to forgive yourself.

What should you do to overcome your bad memories?

1. Forgive yourself

The most important thing you should do is to forgive yourself. And you can forgive yourself only when you have changed for better.

When you throw away your bad characteristics that hurt others, you can feel relieved of your guilt.

Forgiving yourself is the only way to forget your past mistakes. Otherwise, you cannot have a moment of peace.

It is not easy to overcome your guilty conscience that easily.

So, make up your mind not to make your past mistakes ever again.

2. Never carry your guilt along with you

It is true you have committed a mistake. It is also a fact that you feel guilty about it.

Can you live through your life feeling guilty until the day you live?

You cannot.

Remember one simple factor.

You feel guilty because you still haven’t forgotten about your mistakes. The strong emotional attachment you feel towards your unhappy past makes you feel laden with sorrow and grief.

3. Move along

You should get along with your life, as it stops for no one.

You cannot be harping on your past life and make your present life an agonized existence. Wipe your miserable past clean and clear from your life. Start your present life afresh.

Your present life should be very different from the worthless past you lead.

Make it worthwhile and helpful to others.

4. Forget about it

The more you think of your bad memories the more depressed you become. So, it is always better to forget about it.

Do not think that by brooding about your past, you are trying to prove yourself as a good person. You are not.

Unless you forget, your life can become torturous to you.

Let go your past mistakes. Never let it enter your life.

5. Your past cannot be changed

What has happened has happened. You cannot change it. All you can change is your behavior. So, you must change for the better.

It is true that you should feel sorry for what you have done. It is also true that you must forgive yourself to live your present life peacefully.

But when you commit the same mistakes after recovering from your guilt, it simply means you are getting used to making mistakes.

If you do so, you will gradually become immune to guilt and keep committing many blunders in your life again and again.

6. Surrender to God

Ask the forgiveness of God.

It relieves your mental torture in a big way.

The supreme power of God makes your bad memories disappear from your life.

When God forgives you, you easily forgive yourself.

7. Never resort to addictions

Getting addicted to bad habits is not a way to get over your bad memories.

Addiction to drugs and alcohol might numb your mind from feeling guilty, but only temporarily.

But your addiction will become yet another bad memory in your life.

Never let it happen.

8. Change your life for the better

You must make a complete changeover of your life.

Lend helping hand to others.

Be kind and empathetic.

When you know you are in the wrong, do not feel shy to ask forgiveness.

CONCLUSION

“Nostalgia can be more painful than a surgeon’s knife.” ― Anurag Shourie

Bad memories make you unhappy. There is no denying it.

But remember it is only a temporary phase in your life. Do not make it a permanent fixture in your life by thinking and brooding about it.