April 1st – Letting Go of the Past

April 1st - a distorted mirror

“We held on to resentments about the past which prohibited us from embracing the present and living our lives to the fullest. Some of us were full of remorse and could not forgive ourselves for making mistakes. That is, we would not accept our humanity.”

Life with Hope, first edition, page 16

Taking my Fourth Step inventory was a difficult process. I had people who had wronged me that I never wanted to forgive, and others who I wished I had never wronged. I had previously thought that the answer to resentment and remorse was to push them far into the recesses of my mind, and bottle up any negative emotions I experienced as a result of them. I realized that by trying to ignore them, I was actually giving them more power over me. I could not let those feelings continue to dominate my life. I had to forgive people who had wronged me, not for them but for myself. I had to forgive myself for my own wrongdoings. No amount of anger or regret is going to change the past, but I can change my attitude going forward. I can acknowledge that without my past, I wouldn’t be where I am in the present.

Final thought: Today, I will be grateful for who I am right now, instead of regretting who I was in the past.

Living Every Day with Hope – Copyright © 2025 Marijuana Anonymous World Services. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Marijuana Anonymous groups have been granted limited permission to quote Living Every Day with Hope.

Hope Delivered To Your Inbox

By subscribing to Daily Dose of MA Recovery you receive via email the meditation of the day from Living Every Day with Hope and additional announcements from MA World Services.

Image of a sprouting tree with a blurred green background

A New Leaf – Online

Where Marijuana Anonymous members spark creativity by sharing experience, strength, and hope.