It’s so easy to get sucked into our memories, so read through these forget the past quotes that’ll inspire you to live in the present!
The past can mean two things. It’s either filled with happy and joyful memories or painful times that evoke feelings of regret, anger, and hurt.
Whatever the past means for you, you must remember that it’s never beneficial to live in it and dwell on it.
Instead, we must forget the past and focus on living in the present. Today already has so many things going on, and the future also offers us a lot of things to look forward to.
So, don’t get stuck living in the past; forget about it and move forward to better days.
To get you started, we’ve gathered some of the most meaningful forget the past quotes.
Read through to the end and gain life-changing insights that’ll shift your perspective.
Let’s get started.
And don’t miss out these forgive and forget quotes.
Best Forget the Past Quotes
1. “Forget the past―the future will give you plenty to worry about.” – George Allen, Sr.
2. “The first recipe for happiness is: avoid too lengthy meditation on the past.” – André Maurois
3. “Forget the past; there’s a reason it’s not coming back.” – Anonymous
4. “Let’s forget the baggages of the past and make a new beginning.” – Shahbaz Sharif
5. “The only thing a person can ever really do is keep moving forward. Take that big leap forward without hesitation, without once looking back. Simply forget the past and forge toward the future.” – Alyson Noel
6. “Letting go and forgetting the past is easier said than done, but never use the past as an excuse to not care about your future.” – Jayden Hayes
7. “Even though you may want to move forward in your life, you may have one foot on the brakes. In order to be free, we must learn how to let go. Release the hurt. Release the fear. Refuse to entertain your old pain. The energy it takes to hang onto the past is holding you back from a new life. What is it you would let go of today?” – Anonymous
Inspirational Quotes on Forgetting the Past
8. “Do not let your shadow walk you. You are not a slave of the past.” – Dodinsky
9. “Think of yourself now. Forget the past. Live in the present.” – Claude Chabrol
10. “Learn from the past and let it go. Live in today.” – Louise L. Hay
11. “You can’t reach for anything new if your hands are still full of yesterday’s junk.” – Louise Smith
12. “Rather than wasting time on yesterday that is gone, it is better to invest your time in tomorrow that is not yet born.” – Anonymous
13. “And the reason the windshield is so large, and the rearview mirror is so small is that what’s happened in your past is not near as important as what’s in your future.” – Anonymous
14. “When you realize the value of all life, you dwell less on what is past and concentrate more on the preservation of the future.” – Anonymous
15. “Instead of looking at the past, I put myself ahead 20 years and try to look at what I need to do now in order to get there then.” – Diana Ross
Also read: Inspirational Quotes
Powerful Forget the Past Quotes to Change Your Life
16. “I find life is easier if I can forget the past.” – Nicholas Boxer
17. “Whatever has happened to you in your past has no power over this present moment because life is now.” – Oprah Winfrey
18. “There’s an old saying about those who cannot remember the past being condemned to repeat it. But those of us who refuse to forget the past are condemned to relive it.” – Mike Kelley
19. “’Movement is life,’ and it is well to be able to forget the past and kill the present by continual change.” – Jules Verne
20. “The more anger towards the past you carry in your heart, the less capable you are of loving in the present.” – Barbara De Angelis
21. “There is no past that we can bring back by longing for it. There is only an eternally new now that builds and creates itself out of the Best as the past withdraws.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
22. “The past was always there, lived inside of you, and it helped to make you who you were. But it had to be placed in perspective. The past could not dominate the future.” – Barbara Taylor Bradford
23. “The past can’t hurt you anymore, not unless you let it.” – Alan Moore
24. “A lot of people go through life like they are rowing a boat. They look at where they have been―the past― rather than where they are going―the future.” – Anonymous
Also read: Powerful Quotes
Forget the Past Quotes to Live By
25. “You must forget the past. Despite who you are now, you will also become something more.” – Denis Dyack
26. “Stop being a prisoner of your past. Become the architect of your future.” – Robin Sharma
27. “You need to make a conscious choice every day to shed the old.” – Sarah Ban Breathnach
28. “All the king’s horses and all the king’s men can’t put the past together again. So let’s remember: don’t try to saw sawdust.” – Dale Carnegie
29. “Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.” – Cherokee Indian Proverb
30. “Forget past mistakes and forget failures. Forget everything except what you are going to do now and do it.” – William J. Durant
31. “He’s gonna be so sorry he lost you, so stop worrying. Forget the past. Forget the pain.” – Elizabeth Young
32. “Nothing in the universe can stop you from forgetting the past and starting a new life; just be constantly listening to your inner voice.” – Anonymous
33. “Think about any attachments that are depleting your emotional reserves. Consider letting them go.” – Oprah Winfrey
34. “Never let the past spoil your present or govern your future.” – Anonymous
Also read: Quotes to Live By, Quotes on Moving Forward
Forget the Past Quotes That’ll Help You Move Forward
35. “I don’t believe in forgetting the past, Because it’s always going to be a part of my life. But I can learn from it, accept it and move on!” – Abhishek Tiwari
36. “There’s no future in spending our present worrying about our past.” – Tom Wilson
37. “Renew, release, let go. Yesterday’s gone. There’s nothing you can do to bring it back. You can’t, ‘Should’ve done something.’ You can only do something. Renew yourself. Release that attachment. Today is a new day!” – Steve Maraboli
38. “One problem with gazing too frequently into the past is that we may turn around to find the future has run out on us.” – Michael Cibenko
39. “Take it from me. If you hear the past speaking to you, feel it tugging up your back and running its fingers up your spine, the best thing to do―the only thing―is run.” – Lauren Oliver
40. “‘When you understand,’ Brandy says, ‘that what you’re telling is just a story. It isn’t happening anymore. When you realize the story you’re telling is just words; when you can just crumble up and throw your past in the trash can,’ Brandy says, ‘then we’ll figure out who you’re going to be.’” – Chuck Palahniuk
Short Forget the Past Quotes for Your Curious Mind
41. “The past is where it’s supposed to be.” – Jason Newsted
42. “Moving on isn’t forgetting the past, it’s learning from it.” – Anonymous
43. “The past is past; what’s gone on has gone on.” – David Furnish
44. “No man is rich enough to buy back his past.” – Oscar Wilde
45. “We need not destroy the past. It is gone.” – John Cage
Forget the Past Quotes for Those Who Need a Boost
46. “The past should be the past. It can destroy the future. Live life for what tomorrow has to offer. Not for what yesterday has taken away.” – Anonymous
47. “By forgetting the past and by throwing myself into other interests, I forget to worry.” – Jack Dempsey
48. “To design the future effectively, you must first let go of your past.” – Charles J. Givens
49. “Forgetting the past and moving toward the things which are before me, I press on toward the goal.” – Lewis Hyde
50. “The past should be a learning experience, not an everlasting punishment. What’s done is done.” – Anonymous
51. “Forgetting the past is not always good. Sometimes it’s a way to protect you from pain. But if you don’t learn from your mistakes, it’s just a way to repeat them.” – Anonymous
Deep Forget the Past Quotes That You Must Read
52. “For some, excavating the past isn’t an adventure; it’s more akin to tearing a Band-Aid off an open wound.” – Raquel Cepeda
53. “Forget the past and start a new life. It’s time to live in the present and embrace the future.” – Anonymous
54. “The past is a great place, and I don’t want to erase it or to regret it, but I don’t want to be its prisoner either.” – Mick Jagger
55. “Don’t time travel into the past, roaming through the nuances as if they can change. Don’t bookmark pages you’ve already read.” – James Altucher
More Forget the Past Quotes to Reflect On
56. “Forget your past because your journey till now was not the last. Look forward to making a bright future. It’s not too late; you will get success for sure.” – Rachitra Parida
57. “Never be a prisoner of your past. It was just a lesson, not a life sentence.” – Anonymous
58. “Never forget the past, and hold no regrets for the mistakes you’ve made. Forgetting the past can cause you to make the same mistakes again.” – Anonymous
59. “Your past history and all of your hurts are no longer here in your physical reality. Don’t allow them to be here in your mind, muddying your present moments. Your life is like a play with several acts. Some of the characters who enter have short roles to play, others, much longer. But all are necessary. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be in the play. Embrace them all, and move on to the next act.” – Wayne Dyer
60. “We have to forget the past. History is something that even today, we are paying the consequences, and the future is integration. We all as a people, as citizens, as the leadership of both countries should be looking in that direction.” – Jaromir Jagr
Did These Forget the Past Quotes Push You to Live in the Present?
One of the most memorable quotes in the collection goes, “The first recipe for happiness is: avoid too lengthy meditation on the past.” This quote from André Maurois perfectly encapsulates the lessons we can gather from the collection. The pursuit of happiness is our main goal in life, and we’ll never reach it if we dwell too much on our pasts.
Our past is a part of our lives filled with memories―both happy and sad. While they are filled with lessons on how to improve ourselves, if we get stuck in replaying our past, we will never be able to focus on the present, and we’ll never be able to look forward to our future.
Instead, after drawing lessons from the past, we must forget about it. There’s nothing we can change about the past, after all. What’s done is done; the only thing we have control over is our present.
So, no matter what, stop living in your memories. Make an active choice to focus on the present and what you can do to ensure you live a happier, more meaningful, and more purposeful future. Whenever you need reminders of the lessons you’ve learned today, read through this collection of forget the past quotes again!
