When my 22 year old son played Dixie Youth baseball, the players' gift from the coach at the end of the season was an insulated cup personalized with their name and a picture of a Marlin (which was the team name.) That cup quickly became my favorite- ice just did not melt in it, keeping my Diet Coke or tea from getting watered down. I still have it and use it daily. Recently my sons commented on the cup- they couldn't believe I am still using it. After the comments, I looked at it with fresh eyes. Well, it does look pretty bad- the rim is discolored from years of lipsticked use, and there is a crack in the bottom of the cup. Could it be harboring germs? I think it is time to throw it away! 

That got me thinking about how hard it is sometimes to let things go- old patterns of behavior, relationships, hurts and anger. Sometimes, it is just "comfortable" to hold on to what we know or are used to, and the thought of a new way of thinking, feeling, and acting seems to be scary "foreign territory." But like that cup, what we are holding on to may no longer be useful and healthy. Change takes courage. 

Is holding on to the past holding you back?