My Three Mantras

 There are three things I say to myself many times a day.

The first is:

I am loved.

The second is:

I am safe.

And the third is:

I am free of the past.

The first two feel true to me today.

I do feel loved.

And I love myself.

That wasn’t always true. I spent many years carrying shame and questioning my worth. But today, I can honestly say that love is something I feel inside myself.

I also feel safe.

I live in a quiet little neighborhood, and I’ve made choices about what I allow into my environment. I gave up watching the news entirely. I don’t want to bring all of that fear and suffering into my home—or into my consciousness.

I am safe.

But the third mantra is different.

I am free of the past.

That is something I have to continually work on.

Because at this period of my life, I sometimes feel more connected to that little girl than I ever have before.

I can feel the things she went through.

I can feel her fear.

I can feel how deeply some of those experiences affected her.

And some days, it’s hard to feel all of that.

But maybe this is part of healing.

Maybe healing isn’t always about leaving the past behind.

Maybe sometimes it means being willing to face the places that still need love.

I don’t have to be discouraged because I’m still discovering things.

I don’t have to believe I’ve failed because something from the past still touches me.

I can simply remind myself:

I am loved.

I am safe.

And little by little,

I am becoming free of the past.