“If you are willing to deal with the past, you can make the moment you are in rich.” – Oprah Winfrey

We are products of our past, the environment of our childhood. For those of us who had painful childhoods, we are determined to get away from our memories. We cannot. our past is a part of our today. We carry it in our hearts. We model what we saw, heard and experienced as children. It is called a pattern. We do what was done to us. We behave the way we saw others behave. Unwittingly, with a great deal of denial, we repeat the physical, emotional and mental patterns set by our families. The only way to stop the cycle, to break the pattern, is to go back and deal with the pain. We must relive the memories before we can erase them. We must confront the people in our minds and say now what we could not say then. We must explore the feelings, unpack the guilt and free ourselves from the baggage we picked up at home.

- Acts of Faith by Iyanla Vanzant

I have to agree with this reading 100%, when I read it this morning, I felt that I read it for a reason and wanted to share. A lot of times, I am that person that wants to get away from her past very badly. I also know that running from my past will not make it better. I am determined not to let my past shape the person I am, and the person I am to become. Often times, I can feel myself reacting in situations because of my past experiences and not the situation that is present in front of of me. I want to break the cycle and the pattern. I have learned to forgive but that isn’t enough, as the reading says; I will confront those people and let go of the feelings and free myself from the guilt. I hope this passage teaches you a thing or two as it has for me. Perfect reading for today, as I am currently going through this stage of self renewal.