William Ward once said, “Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the handcuffs of hate.” … Everyone deserves forgiveness, but when the pain is so valid, it’s not always easy to let it go. We all get hurt. It’s part of being human and totally unavoidable. When we feel betrayed, abandoned or deceived, it’s a natural instinct to lay blame <!—more—>on the perpetrator. The anger, resentment, even the temptation of revenge can overwhelm us and suffocate our hearts. It’s important to take time to grieve and re-group so you can move forward, but too many people live in their pain, consumed by anger. What they don’t seem to realize is the consequences of anger are usually far worse than the causes. It’s a cancer that eats at your soul and steals the joy from your life. You might live there and survive, but you will never thrive. If you learn to forgive others, it frees your heart to laugh, love and find happiness … But what if the anger and resentment is turned inward? What if you feel responsible for someone else’s pain? It’s a lot easier to forgive someone else for hurting you than it is to forgive yourself for another’s pain. So how do you do it? How can you let go of self-aversion? It might help to understand that we often say or do things in reaction to our frame of reference. Things that happened in childhood — things we may not even be aware of — can trigger a sharp response or a poor decision. That’s not an excuse to run rampant on others, but it may be a reason for a peccadillo. Others can forgive you so if you truly are remorseful, forgive yourself, learn from your mistakes and move forward. You will never find your future in the past! More than likely we will all find our selves on both sides of the coin from time to time. Learn to forgive others — and yourself. It’s liberating and will allow joy to enter your life. I’d like to pass on these words of wisdom from a close friend of mine:

Life can be confusing at times, but we are all on a journey … We can’t undo anything that’s already been done, but we can face up to it, tell the truth, seek forgiveness, and let God handle the rest …  Life is too short to hold onto old grievances that do not permit life to proceed with joy.

Thanks Terri,

Have a wonderful Wednesday … Casi

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