Overcoming Past Hardships: How Elevated Emotions Can Help You Move Forward
- Maria Nersi
- Jul 23
- 6 min read
When we've experienced trauma, pain, or hardship in the past, it can be challenging to let go of the emotional attachment to those experiences. This emotional attachment can manifest in various ways, such as replaying painful memories or experiences over and over in our minds, reliving the emotions and sensations associated with them. We might find ourselves being triggered by people, places, or things that remind us of the past trauma or hardship, causing us to react in ways that may not be helpful or healthy. In some cases, we might even define ourselves by our past experiences, seeing ourselves as victims or survivors, and struggling to imagine a different future.
Holding onto the past can prevent us from moving forward and growing as individuals. When we're stuck in the past, we may struggle to see new possibilities or opportunities, and may feel limited by our past experiences. This can impact our relationships with others, causing us to push people away or struggle with intimacy. Furthermore, chronic stress, anxiety, and depression can result from holding onto past trauma or hardship, affecting our physical and mental health. By holding onto the past, we're essentially giving it power over our present and future, rather than taking control of our own lives.
Elevated emotions like gratitude, love, and compassion can be a powerful tool in helping us overcome past hardships and choose progress over the comfort of familiarity. By cultivating these emotions, we can shift our perspective and focus on the good things in our lives. Gratitude can help us see new possibilities and opportunities, while love and compassion can help us heal emotional wounds and develop a more loving and accepting relationship with ourselves. As we cultivate elevated emotions, we can build resilience and better cope with challenges and setbacks in the present. By intentionally choosing elevated emotions, we can begin to let go of the past and choose a path of progress and growth.
So, how can we cultivate elevated emotions and start moving forward? One way is through mindfulness and meditation practices, which can help us develop greater awareness of our thoughts and emotions. By being more mindful, we can choose more elevated states and let go of negative patterns. Practicing gratitude is another way to cultivate elevated emotions, whether it's through journaling, sharing gratitude with others, or simply taking a moment each day to reflect on the good things in our lives. Prioritizing self-care and self-love is also essential, as it allows us to develop a more compassionate and loving relationship with ourselves. By making these practices a part of our daily lives, we can start to let go of the past and move forward with greater ease and confidence.
The Comfort of Familiarity vs. The Call of Progress
When we've experienced trauma or hardship, it's common to become stuck in a pattern of negative emotions and thoughts associated with those experiences. This can create a sense of comfort and familiarity, even if it's not a healthy or positive one. You might wonder why anyone would cling to something that's causing them pain or distress, but the truth is that our brains are wired to respond to familiarity. Even if the familiar pattern is detrimental to our well-being, it can feel safer and more predictable than venturing into the unknown.
This comfort of familiarity can be attributed to the way our brains process information. When we're in a familiar environment or experiencing familiar emotions, our brains don't have to work as hard to navigate the situation. It's like driving a familiar route – you can almost do it on autopilot. However, when we're faced with something new or unfamiliar, our brains go into high gear, trying to process and make sense of the new information. This can be overwhelming and even scary, especially if we're already struggling with trauma or hardship.
As a result, people often find themselves stuck in a cycle of negative experiences, not because they're masochistic or enjoy suffering, but because it's what they know. It's like being in a toxic relationship – you might know it's bad for you, but it's familiar, and the thought of leaving and starting over can be daunting. This familiarity can become a kind of comfort zone, even if it's not a healthy one.
The problem is that this comfort of familiarity can hold us back from growing and moving forward. When we're stuck in a pattern of negative emotions and thoughts, we're more likely to attract experiences that match that vibration. It's like the law of attraction – like attracts like. If we're vibrating at a low frequency, we're more likely to attract experiences that resonate with that frequency.
Elevated emotions can help us break free from this pattern and choose a path of progress and growth. By cultivating emotions like gratitude, love, and compassion, we can start to shift our vibration and attract more positive experiences into our lives. It's NOT about suppressing or denying our past experiences, but about using them as a catalyst for growth and transformation. By embracing elevated emotions, we can start to see the world in a new light and attract experiences that align with our new vibration.
Using Elevated Emotions to Overcome Past Hardships
Elevated emotions are characterized by a higher frequency than negative emotions. When we cultivate emotions like gratitude, love, and compassion, we're essentially raising our vibrational frequency. This higher frequency allows us to ascend to a new level of consciousness, where we're more connected to our true selves and the world around us.
The Power of Higher Frequency Emotions: Higher frequency emotions have the power to transform our lives in profound ways. When we're vibrating at a high frequency, we're more likely to attract positive experiences and relationships into our lives. We're also more resilient to challenges and setbacks, and better equipped to handle stress and adversity. By cultivating elevated emotions, we can raise our vibrational frequency and start to attract better circumstances into our lives. This is because like attracts like, and when we're vibrating at a high frequency, we're more likely to attract experiences that resonate with that frequency.
Attracting Better Experiences: When we raise our vibrational frequency through elevated emotions, we start to notice a shift in the experiences we attract into our lives. We may find that we're surrounded by more positive and supportive people, and that we're facing fewer challenges and obstacles. We may also find that we're more confident, resilient, and better equipped to handle whatever life throws our way. By intentionally cultivating elevated emotions and raising our vibrational frequency, we can start to create a more fulfilling and joyful life. We're no longer stuck in the past, but instead, we're moving forward with purpose and direction. We're also more likely to attract experiences that align with our highest good, and live a life that's true to who we are.
So, how can we use elevated emotions to overcome past hardships? The key is to intentionally cultivate emotions that help us shift our focus away from the past and towards a more positive future. Here are a few strategies that can help:
Practicing Gratitude: One of the most powerful ways to shift our emotional state is by practicing gratitude. When we focus on the things we're grateful for in our lives, no matter how small they may seem, we begin to rewire our brains to look for the good in every situation. This can help us develop a more optimistic outlook and reduce stress and anxiety. By incorporating gratitude practices into our daily routine, such as journaling or sharing gratitude with others, we can start to see the world in a new light and attract more positivity into our lives.
Cultivating Self-Love: Another essential strategy is cultivating self-love and self-acceptance. When we practice self-love, we acknowledge our worth and value as a person, and develop a more compassionate and loving relationship with ourselves. This can help us let go of self-criticism and negative self-talk, and instead, focus on nurturing and supporting ourselves. By treating ourselves with kindness and compassion, we can start to heal emotional wounds and develop a more positive self-image.
Embracing Compassion: Practicing compassion towards ourselves and others is also crucial in overcoming past hardships. When we recognize that everyone experiences struggles and challenges, we can develop a greater sense of empathy and understanding. This can help us connect with others on a deeper level and build stronger, more meaningful relationships. By embracing compassion, we can also learn to be kinder and more gentle with ourselves, and develop a more positive and supportive inner dialogue.
Letting Go of Attachment to the Past: Letting go of attachment to the past requires a willingness to release the emotional charge associated with past experiences. This can be a challenging process, but it's essential for moving forward and growing as an individual. By cultivating elevated emotions and focusing on the present moment, we can begin to let go of the past and choose a path of progress and growth.
By incorporating these strategies into our daily lives, we can start to shift our emotional state and overcome past hardships. It's not about denying or suppressing our emotions, but about using elevated emotions to help us heal, grow, and move forward. With time and practice, we can develop a more positive and resilient mindset, and live a more fulfilling and joyful life.
Comments