Who I am, is determined by my past. Whether the memories of my past are good or worth forgetting. I am either what I am now because of the past or despite there of. That depends on how I dealt with the issues that crossed my path.
One thing though which we cannot change is that my “now” depends on whether I managed to leave behind the insignificant things. Those I cannot change or influence.
“Forgiveness is the only way to free ourselves from the entrapment of the past” said a wise man once (Richard Röhr). The pains of the past stick in our being and are very difficult to let go. But letting go of negative and painful memories allows growth. It is the only way we can define ourselves by the present moment. I cannot be defined by my failures of the past. What I am now is who I really am.