I recently read a Barna Research Report that really resonated with me. It indicated, overall, 70 million Americans (31% of adults) feel “held back or defined by something in their past. This perception was most commonly expressed by younger adults, blacks, divorced adults, unmarried individuals, and those who have some college experience but never completed their degree. Those with a practicing faith were among the least likely to feel defined or held back by their past. Lower-income households were more likely than average (38%) to feel defined by their past, though 25% of higher-income households were also likely to share this perception.
Although not easy, each of us must deal with our past by proactively focusing on what has true meaning for us. If we are not fully engaged in finding what is meaningful, then we are destined to listen to the “noise” of our past.
