Weight of the Past

Freddy Murphy

Beyond the Blues

For this assignment, I created a ceramic piece in the form of a dumbbell to illustrate the concept that negative memories are like carrying a weight around in one's life. Dwelling on the past is a habit that every individual finds themselves doing without even noticing it’s happening. It’s only human to reflect on the past experiences of one’s younger years, since these are essential in learning who one is today. However, dwelling on the past can be damaging in a person’s life, hindering growth and holding an individual back, much like a dumbbell that weighs more the longer the person holds on to it.

Such memories always feel like a burden because they are associated with certain emotions, including guilt, regret, embarrassment, and sadness, that are evoked by these situations. Although it remains that the brain may not always distinguish between remembering an experience and actually reliving it at times. Therefore, dwelling on such negative memories triggers a stress response of fear in the body, thereby impairing mental well-being, as these emotions are not directly associated with the present circumstances at the time.

Additionally, dwelling on the past prevents one from living in the present. When you dwell on past experiences, it becomes harder for you to enjoy new ones. The example of the ceramic dumbbell effectively illustrates this point. A dumbbell is an object designed for building strength, but only if used in the right manner. Holding on to it for too long or hanging an excessively heavy weight can cause problems. Memories are much the same thing, as reminiscing about the past may strengthen us, but only if it doesn’t drag us back.

Although there may be potential negative effects of holding onto memories, there are still effective ways to cope with them in a positive manner. Having conversations with an honest third person, engaging in grounding techniques, or completing tasks can help ease the burden. Mindfulness is especially effective since it reminds an individual to concentrate their attention on the thing right in front of them rather than dwelling on what happened in the past.