***Selective Memory

The mind likes to push us from black to white, from either to or, from positive to negative.nnWhen we remember events or people, we tend to sort the memories into categories. We see life as either good or bad. We say this is a good memory and that is a bad memory.nnThe mind seems to be trying to simplify things for us, but what really is happening is a fragmentation of memory and of life.nnSome people or events in our memory become part of the list of positive memories. Some get added to the list of negative memories.nnYears later we may reflect back on our lives as a series of either good memories or bad memories.nnIn my experience this compartmentalization often leads to distortions of reality. And these distortions can keep us stuck in the past. And further, these distortions of reality keep us stuck in the role of the victim.nnThe victim mind is seeking control. The victim mind is attempting to hold time captive. But what is really happening is that we hold ourselves captive.nnAs this captive state persists, life can become suspended between the world of now and the world of the past.nnTo move beyond grief requires a paradigm shift. To move beyond grief requires a fresh look at the memory process. To move beyond grief requires a holistic view of memory.nnThere can be no resolution when the relationships of our lives are wrapped in selective feelings and memories. The mind grasps for structure and completeness, but really is grasping for control.nnControl is not possible. There needs to be a shift from seeking control to seeking resolution. Seeking resolution requires honesty and diligence.