Looking Back but moving Forward

Time after time I am being told forget about the past move forward. I agree with the statement but to a certain extent. Exactly how do you forget the past; that time whether good or bad matters, it too once exist. My past made me a better person today. I can look back at my past and now say, "Wow I was wild!" but GOD! My Pastor  once preached a sermon about the "But" in between. Everyone has a past. Life for me has been no crystal stair due to my own mistakes. See I was raised in church, from singing in the choir to church services from sun up to sun down But in the midst of growing up, I got lost. I was so consumed with getting rich that I lost myself somewhere in between. I wanted the fame, I wanted my Barbie dolls life, you know the dreamhouse, the corvette, clothes etc. I lived it up and it felt good but it was only instant gratification. There was always something missing. There was always a void.