The Fabulous Gift of a Forgotten Past

You made it through this year – perhaps not totally unscathed – but in one, blessed piece nonetheless!  Regardless of how we look back and evaluate this past year – fantastic or forgettable – we have a lot to be grateful for, don’t we?

Now, if you’re like most people in this social media age, your year – both the highs and the lows – is captured in pictures and text across various platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.  While social media is a great way to capture the moments and reminisce, as Team Jesus, we have to be careful not to allow these platforms to become tools of the enemy.

What do we mean?

Are you sensitive to certain triggers?

Of course. We all have triggers – memories in our psyche that are unearthed by words, sounds, pictures, scents, touch, and more.

Did you experience a break-up this year? Did you lose a family member or loved one? Were you on the receiving end of betrayal, frustration, or disappointing events?

As many of us are healing from these various forms of trauma, bad memories, and heartache, the last thing we need is a “blast from the past” reminder on social media. Sure, those who have done their work of healing or forgiveness can be reminded of past pain or hard times and experience gratefulness, praise, and thankfulness without the resurgence of negative emotions. But, if you know you’re not there yet…

Be honest, and plan to be forgetful.  How?

Turn off Facebook Memories

One very popular feature of the reigning social media platform king, Facebook, is the On this Day App.  As you plan to enter the New Year and forget those things which are behind (Philippians 3:13), Facebook’s algorithms are calculating and processing your mobile and desktop notifications of things you’ve posted this year and in previous years.

So, when you posted about that divorce, death, loss, angry moment, Facebook is set to remind you – to the day – of that event with alerts, e-mails, and push notifications.

The good news is – a simple tweak of your Facebook settings can save you a few hours, days, or weeks of emotional setbacks from events you need time to forget.

If you’re looking to press forward without the distractions of the past, here are the steps you can take:

Disable/Modify Facebook’s On This Day App

• Go to the On This Day app by clicking here.
• At the top right of the page, you’ll see Notifications and Preferences.
• Click Notifications, and select “None” to completely turn off reminders.

• Click Preferences, and you can turn off reminders about certain people, or events covering certain date ranges.

So, What’s the Play Call?

You can’t press forward while looking behind.

It’s ok, Team. We all need a forward-focus if we’re to move ahead to the future. Be strategic and beat your triggers to the punch while God heals those emotions for good.

While shutting down Facebook is only one practical strategy, you’ll find the core of your strategic plan to manage triggers in the Word of God.

Counterpunch negative thoughts and memories with the truth of Scripture. For example, if you experienced a betrayal or abandonment, speak to yourself Deuteronomy 31:6 “God will never leave me nor forsake me.”

Find other helpful “weight” loss tips for your heart and mind here.

Cheers to your forgotten past!