Your past is part of you โ
but it does not define you.
It shaped you.
It challenged you.
It even broke you at times.
But it is not who you are now.
Jay Shetty reminds us:
โWe are not our mistakes. We are not our memories. We are what we choose to become.โ
Monk-like living means learning to carry your past with compassion, not shame.
๐ง The Power of Your Story
We all carry internal narratives:
- โI always mess things up.โ
- โPeople always leave.โ
- โIโm not strong enough.โ
- โThis is just who I am.โ
But these are not truths โ
they are stories, written by pain, fear, and repetition.
The good news?
Stories can be rewritten.
๐ Why We Cling to Old Versions of Ourselves
Because theyโre familiar.
Even if theyโre painful โ they feel safe.
Youโve heard them so many times, they feel true.
But if your past self was built in survival,
then your present self deserves to live in freedom.
๐ How to Rewrite the Narrative
1. Identify the Loop
What story keeps playing on repeat?
Ask:
โWhose voice is this really?โ
โWould I say this to someone I love?โ
2. Speak to Your Past Self With Kindness
Close your eyes.
Picture the version of you who made that mistake.
Who trusted the wrong person.
Who failed.
Now say:
โI understand why you did what you did.
You were doing your best.โ
Compassion is the first step toward freedom.
3. Write a New Truth
Example:
โ โI always get it wrong.โ
โ
โI am learning. I make progress with every step.โ
Replace self-punishment with self-permission.
4. Forgive the You That Didnโt Know Yet
You werenโt weak. You were unhealed.
You werenโt broken. You were becoming.
Every chapter mattered.
Even the messy ones.
โจ Final Reflection
You are not the thing they said about you.
You are not the thing you once believed.
You are not the person who didnโt know better.
You are not your worst moment.
You are here.
You are growing.
You are allowed to begin again.
The past may shape your story โ
but only you decide how the story ends.
And that, dear soul, is what it means to think like a monk.
Internal Link:
For more inspiration and practical life tools, visit our Personal Growth & Mindset collection.
Outbound Link:
Learn more about Jay Shettyโs philosophy at Jay Shettyโs official website.
