Rewriting Your Past: The Power of Mental Narratives

Introducing a Controversial Perspective

The past doesn't exist. This subject may raise many questions, opinions, and emotions, but that doesn't dictate whether I post about it. If you disagree, I completely understand. However, this concept serves as a powerful tool for me to transmute pain and navigate difficult times.

The Illusion of Past and Future

Consider the concept that the past does not exist. It only lives in your mind. Similarly, the future is nonexistent. You can't experience next Tuesday in the future; you can only experience it in the present moment. When next Tuesday arrives, you can only experience it right now. Just as you can't physically visit the past, you can only relive it in your mind right now. Therefore, the only reality is the present moment.

Reframing Reality Through Stories

Essentially, all that exists is a story. The mind clings to these narratives. It desperately attaches feelings to stories to make sense of experiences. These stories eventually generate emotions, which in turn shape your reality. Whatever you feel and imagine, you create. The beauty of this concept lies in your ability to change the story in your mind. Since the past doesn't truly exist—only its narrative does—you have the power to alter the story your mind has chosen to embrace.

Mastering Your Mental Narratives

When my mind decides to take offense to someone's actions, I can observe it attaching the feeling of offense to a confirming story. I no longer allow this automatic process. Instead, I choose the story, the trigger, and the feeling I want that narrative to evoke within me. I am in charge of the stories in my head. I dictate how my brain is wired and rewired. I am not at the mercy of my thoughts; I am in control. Recognizing that the past doesn't exist, that only stories exist, and that I can change these stories empowers me to alter how my brain functions. This ultimately transforms the circumstances of my life.

Addressing Common Misconceptions

Some people take offense to this concept, asking questions like: "So you're saying I'm not married?" or "Are you saying my childhood with my parents isn't true?" I understand their arguments and perspective because I once shared similar thoughts until it was clarified for me. The past doesn't exist in the sense that you can't revisit it; it's gone. However, the experience of it exists as a story in your mind. I leverage this understanding to my advantage when transmuting painful past "experiences" into more empowering narratives.

Rewriting Childhood Narratives

I had an extremely painful childhood. The physical and mental abuse tormented me and shaped my entire life with a victim mentality. I felt life owed me something because of the pain I endured and the joy I was robbed of by my treatment. I lacked the regular loving interactions a child typically has with their parents. This shaped my circumstances and continued to do so until I changed the story in my head. I decided to create a storybook childhood where my parents took me on their laps and told me they loved me daily. In this new narrative, they taught me about life and attended all my events, cheering me on from the stands.

Transforming Mindset Through New Narratives

Changing the narrative in my head created loving feelings and different perspectives I didn't have before. My actions soon followed suit. I no longer saw people as out to get me or take advantage of me; instead, they were in my life to support and help me. I began looking for opportunities to give to others because I didn't "need" anything from people. I felt "whole." All of this transformation stemmed from the new story I chose to experience.

Power of Mental Narratives

The past doesn't exist; only the story in your head does. That story can be changed. Most patterns you experience "now" in your present moment result from stories your mind is attached to. If you tell me the stories in your head that you label as your "past," I can predict your current daily circumstances. The things you see in your life today are a result of the narratives in your mind. Yes, it takes work and determination to continually wrangle your thoughts to the new story, but it's not difficult. It's like going to the gym - you're building a new mental muscle.

Invitation to Experiment

I tell people all the time, what will it hurt to give it a try? What have you got to lose? If it doesn't work for you, you can continue believing the current story in your head. Nothing lost! But what if you try it and experience change? Does it matter if someone debates you and proves to you that the past actually does exist? It doesn't matter at that point what anyone else believes if it is producing results in your life.

Homework for Mental Transformation

In conclusion, here is some homework should you choose to take on this challenge:

1. What are the painful stories in your head? Write them down.

2. What are the experiences you wish you could change about your "past"? Write them down.

3. Decide on a new story and begin taking 10 minutes everyday to imagine that story as your "past" experiences.

4. Feel the feelings as though it actually happened.

If your brain fights it, consistency is the key. Your brain does not know the difference between what you are vividly imagining and what you are actually experiencing now. Once you solidify this new story in your mind, watch how your life begins to change.

Happy Imagining!