Have you ever felt like you have a heavy weight on your heart or life because of a conflict with another person or yourself? You’re not the only one. Every day people face controversies or have issues that cause them to be angry, upset, or annoyed by another person or themself. It is hard to forgive but even harder to let go.
I can speak from personal experience that holding on to anger, regret, and pain can hurt more than the incident that caused it. If you want to lift the weight off your heart and grow, move on and let go. I know it can be difficult to “forgive and forget,” but the alternative is not much easier.
Whenever I face something that causes me to feel embarrassed for my actions, angry with myself or another, or emotional pain, I look to the future. Think about a flower through the seasons. One day the flower is beautiful and fully bloomed, while another day it has withered away and has dead leaves. As the seasons change, the flower will return to life and bloom again. As you enter a new day, you take one step away from the incident and one step closer to healing. If you continue to hold on to the pain and anger, you tie yourself to that day and can find yourself in a loop.
I believe that every experience, achievement, and mistake has an opportunity to learn. Rather than dwell in the past, think of how tomorrow could be a better day. Think about how in a year this incident might be only a memory. Memories fade with time. So, the next time you face an issue you feel you can’t let go of, look to the future and remember that as each day passes, it will become a memory.
