Leaving the past behind—especially when certain aspects of the past hold a negative connotation—is an important exercise. As the year comes to a close, many of us are thinking about what we want to bring into 2023 and what we want to leave behind in 2022, 2021, 2020 ... the list goes on.
Letting go of the past isn't always easy, but inspirational quotes can serve as a helpful tool to help you let go of past mistakes, forge new paths, and look optimistically toward the future. Here are 27 powerful quotes to pin, write down, or hang somewhere where you can see them.
Quotes About Leaving the Past Behind
1. "There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind." — C.S. Lewis
2. "Ever new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." — Semisonic
3. "Holding on is believing that there's only a past; letting go is knowing that there's a future." — Daphne Rose Kingma
4. "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." — Albert Einstein
5. "Sometimes the hardest part isn’t letting go but rather learning to start over.” — Nicole Sobon
6. “Every moment wasted looking back keeps us from moving forward.” — Hillary Clinton
7. “In leaving negativity behind, you find something beautiful.” – Tom DeLonge
8. "You gotta keep things moving. If leaving behind the past means you can have a better future, then, sure, why not?” – Lisa Mangum
9. “March on. Do not tarry. To go forward is to move toward perfection. March on, and fear not the thorns, or the sharp stones on life’s path.” – Kahlil Gibran
10. "It has taken me a while, but I’m learning that letting go of the past is a good thing. It doesn’t mean forgetting, it just means moving on. Because the fact is, we can’t enjoy the present and embrace the future when we are still stuck in the past.” — Don Dewberry
11. ”People find it difficult to let go of their pain. They prefer familiar suffering because they fear the unknown” – Thich Nhat Hanh
12. ”Once you make the decision to move on, don’t look back. Your destiny will never be found in the rear view mirror. “– Mandy Hale
13. “March on. Do not tarry. To go forward is to move toward perfection. March on, and fear not the thorns, or the sharp stones on life’s path.” – Kahlil Gibran
14. “Concentrate the mind on the present moment” — Gautama Buddha
15. "We must be willing to let go of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” – Joseph Campbell
16. “Never love something so much that you can’t let go of it.” — Ginni Rometty
17. “Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
18. "Never forget what it taught, but forget about what it hurt.” — Shannon L. Alder
19. “Going away won’t change anything if you’re running from yourself.”― Joyce Rachelle
20. "While you may lose many of your past possessions, you will still be able to find yourself” – Deepak Chopra
21. "You can only lose what you cling to." — Buddha
22. "Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go." — Herman Hesse
23. "When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need." — Lao Tzu
24. "Courage is the power to let go of the familiar." — Raymond Lindquist
25. "Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure." — Oprah Winfrey
26. "I realize there’s something incredibly honest about trees in winter, how they’re experts at letting things go." — Jeffrey McDaniel
27. "You can’t move forward if you’re still hanging on." — Sue Fitzmaurice
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