Breaking Free: Embracing the Present and Letting Go of the Past

Breaking Free: Embracing the Present and Letting Go of the Past

Laurence Tabanao Gayao MD, FAAFP, BCEM

We live in a delicate balance of three time elements—the past, present, and future.

While we can’t change the past, we hold the power to shape the present and create a brighter future. But how often do we find ourselves trapped in the cycle of ruminating over past failures, harboring resentment, or being consumed by worries about what’s ahead?

It’s time to break free from these chains and fully embrace the now.

Letting Go of the Past:
The past may have brought pain, disappointment, or anger, but it also brought resilience. Take a moment to acknowledge your strength in surviving those experiences. Whether the fault was yours or someone else’s, you’ve grown and become a better version of yourself.

To those who hurt you, feel sorrow for the struggles that shaped them. Let go of hate—it steals your present joy and future peace. And above all, thank God for guiding you through it all.

Living in the Present:
The present is a blank canvas, waiting for you to fill it with meaning. Don’t let the weight of past burdens or anxiety about the future rob you of the joy of today.

To truly live in the moment, try these key strategies:

1. Mindfulness Meditation: Train your mind to focus on the now through regular meditation. Let go of judgment and gently bring your attention back whenever it wanders.
2. Sensory Awareness: Ground yourself by tuning into the sights, sounds, and textures around you.
3. Deep Breathing Exercises: Use slow, intentional breaths to calm your mind.
4. Engaging Activities: Lose yourself in hobbies or pursuits that bring you joy—be it music, cooking, or nature.
5. Gratitude Practice: Take time to appreciate life’s blessings.

Planning for the Future:
While it’s essential to set goals, remember to keep them realistic and achievable. Trust in God’s promise, as Matthew 6:34 reminds us: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.”

Final Thoughts:
Focus on aligning your actions with your purpose, and don’t let past regrets or future anxieties dim your light. Living with intention and faith will allow you to enjoy the present while confidently stepping into the future. Remember, “Breaking Free: Embracing the Present and Letting Go of the Past!”

What steps will you take today to embrace the present moment? Share your thoughts below!

*P.S. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to my parents, whose lives have been a wellspring of inspiration for me. Their example shaped the positive philosophy I embrace today—one that guides how I relate to the past, live fully in the present, and look forward to the future. It’s this philosophy that I am honored to share with you through this blog.

drgayao.com

I came out of medical school in 1971 and after residency in Family Medicine at Texas Tech University Health and Science Center I practiced for forty over years traditional medicine in the specialties of family and later in emergency medicine. All along I accept being called a health care provider. Most of what I did however was acute intervention of the results of illnesses that were mostly brought about by an unhealthy life styles. If the patient had high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea, congestive heart failure, and other illnesses I prescribed them medications and mentioned that they needed to loss weight and exercise, in a perfunctory manner. Patients kept on coming back mostly getting worse with time. There was no systematic effort to alter the life styles that lead to these problems.Early in my career I studied on my own exercise physiology and nutrition, and diligently applied it till I got too busy in my profession and I gradually gained weight and eventually had elevated blood sugar and hypertension just like most of my patients. I after retirement I got back into the fitness program and delved into study of life style induced illnesses. It has made me realize as expensive and highly technologically advance our health care is, it has basically is neglecting promoting health as evidenced by the fact we in the US have the highest per capita expenditure for healthcare but our life expectancy is among the lowest among developed countries. Health business is misdirected in its focus and it is one of the largest industries in the US, good for profit for providers but bad for consumers. I now desire to share as much as possible the gospel of a healthy life style which is the key health and happiness.

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