One Positive Action

Take a minute and forgive:

We all carry around old baggage that we’d prefer not to, old perceived slights or mistakes that just fester away in the back of our minds. You say you've "moved on" but then something triggers that old unwanted memory and suddenly you're right back there, feeling that same anger, or burning shame. Holding onto resentment and guilt doesn't hurt the other person, chances are they won’t even know about it. It’s like letting someone who cut you off in traffic ruin your whole day. They don’t know or care that you’re fuming.

When you forgive you’re not giving in and saying what happened was okay, or that you have to be friends with someone who hurt you, or that you’re pretending it didn’t even happen. You’re making a conscious choice to stop letting that situation control how you feel. You’re saying "I'm not going to let this take up space in my head anymore." Whether it's forgiving someone else or forgiving yourself for your mistakes, it's about releasing yourself from the prison of resentment. You decide to let it go, not for them, but for you.

When you actually forgive someone, or bet yet, yourself, the relief is immediate, like setting down a heavy weight you’ve been carrying around. That mental energy you were using to replay scenarios and nurture grudges suddenly becomes available for better things. You sleep better, you're less irritable, and that flush of shame or anger when you’re reminded of past events is gone.

Today, think of one thing that's been weighing you down, someone who hurt you, or a mistake you made that you keep replaying. Sit with it for a minute and really feel how much energy it's taking up, then make the conscious decision to forgive. Say it out loud: "I forgive Bob" or "I forgive myself for messing up that presentation." You might need to do this multiple times, forgiveness isn't always a one-time thing, you’ll probably need to remind yourself a few times, just remember, whenever those old feelings bubble up, say “I forgive…” But start today. Stop carrying that weight around. You deserve to feel light and free, not weighed down by stuff you can't change anyway.