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Our past colors our present

"Every experience we've had in our lives has become a building block in our inner world, governing our reactions to everything and every person we encounter.  When we "learn" something, the experience is physically stored within networks of brain cells called "neurons."  These networks actually form our unconscious mind, determining how our brain interprets the world around us and governing how we feel from moment to moment.  These memories include experiences that took place years ago, and our conscious mind is often unaware that they have any impact on us at all.  But since the memories are physically stored in the brain, they can pop up outside our control in response to "Roses are red," just as they color our view of every new situation we encounter.  They can cause us to feel unattractive when we're not.  Depressed when everyone else around us is happy.  And they can leave us feeling heart-sick if someone leaves us--even if we know consciously that the person is terrible for us and continuing the relationship would be a big mistake.  Basically, many of the feelings and actions that undermine our happiness are symptoms that stem from this memory that forms the unconscious." - Francine Shapiro, Ph.D. in Getting Past Your Past

Our past experiences color our present.  Our past experiences can help us or hinder us depending how we have processed those experiences.  We need to be healthy enough so that even past traumas don't keep the good of today out of our lives.

Renee Madison, MA, LPC, CSAT is a counselor in Colorado.  She can be reached for appointments at 303-257-7623 or 970-324-6928.

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