Silencing The Voices Of Your Past
The introduction from the book by Frank Francis.

I suppose everyone in America has seen Tom Hanks’ portrayal of “Forrest Gump.” One scene remains embedded in my mind forever. Forrest and Jenny, his true love, walk past Jenny’s childhood home. In an explosion of wrath and anger that exceeds her tiny frame, Jenny begins throwing rocks at the now abandoned house. This was the house where as a child her father abused her repeatedly. It was a monument of her pain and dysfunctional failures as an adult in an unforgiving world. You could almost hear the voices of the past as they so obviously overwhelmed Jenny. In exhaustion and desperation, she falls to the ground groping for more stones to throw. As Forrest observes her sorrowing dilemma, he utters these unforgettable words in that simple, droning voice, “Some days, there just aren’t enough rocks.”

We all have them, voices of the past. Some good. Some bad. But they are there. They are the voices of our parents, teachers, friends, mentors, religious leaders, enemies, and our own imaginations. Just as Jenny’s childhood home seemed empty to others, but cried out to her with voices from her past, so our voices cry out to us.

Once again, at the graveside of Jenny, Forrest shares his simple wisdom, “Jenny, I had that old house of yours bull dozered down.” To him, the answer was simple. Just remove it. But for Jenny, it was too late. The voices had driven her to an early grave.

Is it that simple? No, but it’s on the right track. A symbolic removal of icons may assist you in your effort to silence and redirect the voices of your past, but that alone is not the answer. Life just isn’t that simple. You can throw stones until your arms fall limp, but icons are only symbols of the voices. Had the voices been different, Jenny’s house would have evoked emotions of warmth and security rather than despair and Forrest would have transformed it into a shrine instead of destroying it.

How often the actions of Forrest Gump are re-enacted. Maybe you don’t tear down houses, but instead, you focus on your physical environment thinking the voices will suddenly go away. Thoughts flood your mind giving birth to cuddly ideas that soon grow to monsters out of control; monsters that do the bidding of the very voices you seek to escape. And therein lies the problem, a conundrum of miscalculations of good intent along with misappropriations of human will and mental determination. All foiled by the voices of your past. They are in control, whether you like it or not, drowning out even the strongest cries for liberation. They direct every decision you make and, without mercy, herd you like sheep to the slaughter.

“Forrest Gump” is a fictitious movie. All the characters and events are the creative imagination of the author. The letters on a Hollywood script dictate Jenny’s fate. The voices of her past will always be out of her control. No matter how many times you watch the movie, she will always go to an early grave. But your story remains incomplete. Your fate is yet to be determined. You can obtain the power to silence the voices of your past. You can gain control of the keyboard and write the rest of your story as you please! The voices may tell you that you can’t, but I’m telling you that you can. All you need are the tools and proper training.

In this book I will be your guide, and believe me, it is a path that I am ever so familiar with. You will be surprised how empowering and fulfilling your life will become when you finally silence the voices of your past. You may not skip through a field of lilies, but there will be no more voices denying the privilege.

© 2004 Frank Francis and New Franklin Press