on SOCRATES, I LOVE YOU

For so long I would harp on the past. On what had to be "fixed" from years, days, hours gone by, so that I could move forward. It wasn't enough to let it settle, or forget about it. I had to analyze, understand, and talk it out until I (and anyone else involved) was blue in the face.

And now, I seem to be nearly completely without concern for the past. So when I saw this quote today, it caught my eye. I re-read it a few times, in my head, and then aloud. While I do my best to not harp on incidents from the past, nor identify people with any particular traits/ways they've treated me in the past (i.e. if I've changed so much, he/she could have changed just as much), I do still obsessively want to "fix" the parts of myself that I would like to be "better". I spend an awful lot of time trying to break down old belief systems that do not serve me anymore, and keep a watchful eye as to when they show up (i.e. "I'm not good enough"). This is good because it means I've identified harmful beliefs and am getting them out one by one. But could I stand to put more energy into creating my life right now, in this very second, and working toward goals? Yep.

What if, and stay with me here, but what if, in creating what I want for my present, those old belief systems just went poof. Poof! What if that's the kicker to get rid of them? What if focusing so much on wanting to stop them, is part of what's keeping them around? What if we don't need to wrestle with the ghosts of who we used to be, and can, instead, just love the living being we are right now?

That Socrates, I tell you what. Guy knew his shit.