Something inside of us resonates with the question, “How can I let go of the past and be happy?” It is a feeling or an awareness that knows that there is something more than this world is showing us. There is something within us that is ready to burst and to shine.

Once we’ve had a glimmer of joy, there is a sense in us of Wow, I like that glimpse. Why can’t this always be what life is? Why can’t life always be fun? And a course in miracles the answer of the Spirit is, “It is, it can!” That is the reality, but we do need to let go of past associations and let go of the familiar in order to open our hearts up to something much greater than anything we have ever experienced on Earth.

How do you reach a state of mind where you feel certain that the past is over; where you feel that there is nothing left from the past that can haunt you or that can bring doubt to your mind anymore?

It is through guidance and trust.

The Holy Spirit can use time and the symbols in time to teach you that there is no time. He can use the symbols of the past—like words and anything in form—to inspire and to bless, and to give you the experience that you are free right now.

When you really let go of the past through guidance, you are not concerned anymore with the outcomes of the world. Once you let everything be reinterpreted by the Spirit, then you can recall your darkest hours or memory with a gentle smile in your mind. You can think, Wow, it looks so different now with this higher interpretation. God, you were with me all the time. You were there in every circumstance and every seeming situation beckoning me, “Come up here with me and view it with me, come see my perspective on the world. Come see the gentleness, the laughter and the joy.”

This experience doesn’t apply to major things only—it is every day! We can let go of the past and the familiar, learn to listen to present moment guidance and be happy right now!

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