One of the little things I remind myself before prayer or even when the intention to seek arises is "before i begin i am already that". From a Christian perspective perhaps: " completeness in Christ is a given before one even considers starting to find it " (Colossians 2:9…) If at this moment I "before I start I am already that" this must have been true of all previous moments, I.e. my past even though I continued to seek as though it was not so. I can now reinterpret my past and say "it is good". All is good. Grace does not cover my past - it re-interprets it in the light of its own present reality.