“I wanted the past to go away, I wantedto leave it, like another country; I wantedmy life to close, and openlike a hinge, like a wing, like the part of the songwhere it fallsdown over the rocks: an explosion, a discovery;I wantedto hurry into the work of my life; I wanted to know,whoever I was, I wasalivefor a little while.”
— Mary Oliver
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Mary Oliver reminds us that it's okay to leave the past behind to discover who we truly are: “I wanted the past to go away... I wanted to know, whoever I was, I was alive for a little while.” Are you ready to open the hinge to your next chapter? Tell us one thing you are letting go of today to make room for your joy. 👇
About this quote
We all carry the weight of yesterday—the regrets, the ghosts of who we used to be, and the longing for a version of our lives that felt more authentic. Mary Oliver beautifully captures the universal desire to shed the past not out of hatred, but out of a desperate hunger for presence. Like a hinge swinging open or a wing unfolding, there comes a moment in every life where we must decide that the cost of holding on is higher than the fear of letting go. True growth happens when we stop treating our lives as a rehearsal and start embracing the 'work' of being alive. Whether that work is creating art, nurturing love, or simply learning to breathe through the chaos, the magic lies in the discovery. This quote serves as a gentle reminder that our time here is fleeting, and the most courageous thing we can do is allow ourselves to be fully, vibrantly alive in the current moment, regardless of where we have been. To move forward, you don't need a perfect map; you only need the willingness to step across the threshold. Let your past become another country—a place you once visited, but no longer reside. Embrace the explosion of new beginnings and the quiet discovery of your own soul.
Photo Credit:
Photo by Sanjana Ilavarasu on Unsplash
