Rewrite your past, redefine your future

Welcome to This Daring Adventure podcast where we work on bridging the gap between where we are and where we want to be in order to live a bigger and bolder life. In this podcast, we will provide inspiration, tips, and skills you need to make your life the adventure you want it to be. Here's your host, mindset mentor, and life coach, Trista Guertin.

Hey everybody. Welcome back to This Daring Adventure. Today we're talking about something that keeps so many women stuck without even realizing it, and it's the story that they tell about their past. If you've ever caught yourself saying, that's just how I've always been, or it's in my nature, or I can't change because of what's happened to me, then this episode is going to challenge that belief in a very powerful way. So let's get going. I am going to show you how your past only exists in your thoughts, how you can change the way you think about it starting today, and how shifting from past focused to future focused thinking changes everything. I. We want to rewrite your past and create the future that you truly want. Right now, you're probably living in a past focused mindset. The problem is You're defining yourself by your past. You think your past is factual, set in stone, and that it determines what's possible for you now and in the future. I. So you're probably telling yourself stories about why things didn't work out. You may be replaying failures and disappointments as proof of what you can't do, and you're probably using your past as a measuring stick for your future potential. But here's the thing, this isn't the truth. It's just one version of your story and it's keeping you stuck. I want you to imagine you're carrying a heavy suitcase filled with every mistake, regret, and painful memory from your past. Every time you try to move forward, that weight is slowing you down. Now, what if I told you that suitcase is not actually locked? You could open it. You could remove the things that don't serve you that aren't helpful and carry only what moves you forward. And that's exactly what we're gonna do today. I. Your past exists in your thoughts, and so your past isn't the problem, it's the way you're thinking about it. So let's take a look at how past focused thinking is holding you back. When you're stuck in past focused mindset, here's what happens. You're not taking action because you already know in quotes how things will turn out. You're resisting change because it feels impossible. I. You are collecting evidence that reinforces that same old story that you've been telling yourself for years, and you feel powerless, like life is happening to you instead of being created by you. It's a classic victim story. so I recently worked with a client. I'll call her Jodi, who told me that she was bad with relationships. She believed that she couldn't trust her judgment because she had chosen the wrong partners in the past and her relationships hadn't been working out, and every time she met someone new, she filtered it through the story I always make bad choices. So you can imagine what happens. She keeps making bad choices because she was unconsciously proving herself right. But once she changed the way she interpreted her past, once she decided her past had given her wisdom, instead of proof of failure, she was able to build confidence and attract healthier relationships. And because she told her brain what to focus on, that's what she created more of. What you focus on, you will create more of. So she was constantly telling herself her relationships didn't work, she was making bad decisions, then that's all her brain was focusing on, and we had to reframe it, we had to reprogram it. We had to tell it what to think instead. And this is typically why nothing changes for people because we're always thinking about the past. And that's what you will recreate. So let's talk about what's possible instead. We need to rewrite your past to create a new future. You don't have to be trapped by your past, and I want you to really think about that and take that in. You can rewrite your past starting today simply by changing your thoughts about it, and this is a really important process that I take my clients through. We wanna process some of the emotion around some of these experiences. They could be decisions. They could be conversations. They could be events. And this doesn't mean pretending that things didn't happen, but it means choosing a new interpretation that serves you instead of holding you back. We want it to be helpful. We wanna take what is helpful and leave the rest. It's like you're unpacking that suitcase and leaving it behind. Instead of telling yourself, I've always been bad with money, you start telling yourself, I'm learning how to be financially confident. Instead of, I failed before, so I can't do it now, you tell yourself That experience taught me what doesn't work, so I now know how to do it better. Your past does not define your future. Your future can be anything you want it to be, but you have to be thinking in that way. It's your thoughts that will define your future and what's possible for you. And those, my friend, are a hundred percent in your control. So now we wanna shift to a future focused mindset, and how do you actually start shifting from past focus to future focused? There are a couple of exercises here I recommend. First, write your old story. Write down the story you currently tell about your past. Notice the patterns, the negative conclusions, the ways you define yourself. Next, you wanna find alternative perspectives. Ask yourself, is this the only way to view what happened? How would someone else interpret the same events? What if your past was happening for you instead of to you? Next, you wanna write your new story, rewrite your past as if it was empowering for you. What strengths did you develop? What did you learn that can serve you now. And then you wanna practice thinking the new story. Every time you catch yourself slipping into the old story, remind yourself of the new one. Say it out loud. Act as it's already true. Remind yourself. Your brain is like a record player. Playing the same past focused thoughts on repeat. It's very easy for it. It's very convenient, it's very efficient. It just keeps thinking the same thoughts over and over again, day after day after day. But if you wanna create a different experience, you don't just smash the record, but you choose a new song. And this is what rewriting your past does. It changes the track that your brain is playing. It takes some work, it takes some practice, but it is completely possible. you can also imagine your life as a movie and you're both the main character and the director. Now you can decide how to interpret past scenes. Are they going to be tragedies that hold you back and keep you stuck, or are they powerful origin stories that set you up for success? You get to choose. It's worth doing this work. Take the time, go through, make a list of events, conversations, decisions, anything that keeps playing on you and your mind that tend to define what's possible for you. Start to be aware of those stories that you're telling yourself or how you're thinking to yourself about your past and what's possible for you in the future. This is some of the most powerful work you can do, and it's totally worth the investment of your time to do this. Now, listen, you don't have to stay stuck in a past focus mindset. You don't have to keep repeating the old patterns. this is what's creating your current results. It is your current thinking that is keeping you stuck. But you get to decide what comes next. If you are ready to rewrite your past and create the future you really want, I invite you to book a free discovery call with me. In this call, we're gonna uncover exactly the thoughts that are keeping you stuck and create a plan for shifting into the person you want to become. Let's clean up those stories. Let's reframe your past so that it is something empowering and something that you can use to start moving you forward towards the future that you want. I will put the link to my calendar in the show notes, and you can schedule your call today. This is the first step to breaking free from your old story and stepping into your future. Don't stay stuck. Let's talk. Remember, your past does not define you, but the story you tell about it will change everything. Thanks everybody. I'll see you next week.

Thank you for listening to This Daring Adventure podcast with your host Trista Guertin. We hope you enjoyed the tips and conversations on how to get excited about life Again, as always, you can head to tristaguertin.com for additional resources and to book a one-on-one coaching session. You can also follow Trista on Instagram at tristavguertin. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Thanks again for tuning in and we'll see you next time.