For myself, the past really is what it was. I'm happy to believe that I found God's mercy and grace upon my life from believing in the love of Jesus Christ. From this alone, it makes me believe that I've been forgiven by the Almighty and that I can be transformed daily in the likeness of Jesus little by little because of my trust upon him as my Lord and Savior. It's really that simple in my belief structure which makes it possible for me to be able to let go of bad things now. I just have this constant reminder of Jesus being the king of my life and that I'm under his grace to be able to work on enjoying my life daily.
I think it's just putting in the effort from doing routine laboring like running a farm. This analogy can apply to life like how you plant and sow seeds, take care of them, and then harvest the crops when it's ready while restarting the cycle all over again out of necessity. There's just this desire to live in no longer any bondage to the world and be constantly renewed with joy upon receiving Christ into your heart.
This being all said, it feels like what others can do to bring pain or distress is really nothing in the long run. It's really about keeping yourself on the things of the Lord and working hard to manage the natural talents and desires while being aligned as much as possible with the Lord!
