Wiping the Slate Clean for 2019: Forgive for Your Health’s Sake

By Dr. Bradley Nelson

Holding a grudge can damage your heart and shorten your life by putting you under undue stress, research has found. Forgiveness is the number one thing you can do to reduce stress in your life.

If there’s someone who has hurt you or wronged you in some way, and you haven’t forgiven them, your stress level will inevitably be greater than it should be.

When we withhold forgiveness from someone who has hurt us, we may think that we are getting even or hurting that person, but nothing could be further from the truth. What we are really doing is we are hurting ourselves. Say someone has done something truly horrible that seems impossible for you to forgive. This is where you have power to do something meaningful that can be life-changing, especially for yourself!

THREE SIMPLE STEPS

1. Write a letter to yourself or another person you need to forgive. It helps you express angst and negativity that might be in your soul about yourself or another person, even if you don’t mail the letter.
2. Burn the letter. Take the letter outside and light it with a match, burn it up, and send it out to the universe. That can really help you to let go and forgive.
3. Speak Forgiveness. This can be telling yourself or another person that you truly have forgiven yourself or the one who wronged you. This helps seal the forgiveness.

MORE WAYS TO PRACTICE FORGIVENESS THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS AND THE NEW YEAR

• Strive for a state of acceptance and understanding of others, despite their negative behavior or difficult nature. If there’s someone who has hurt you or wronged you in some way, and you haven’t forgiven them, your stress level will inevitably be greater than it should. The higher path of the spirit is to be at peace with the universe and with all our fellow beings. None of us are perfect and we all have reasons for acting the way we do.
• Don’t forget to go easy on yourself:How many times have you chastised yourself for making a poor decision, lashing out at others, being clumsy, or running late for a meeting? Most mistakes we make won’t affect us in the long run. In fact, by recognizing the value in our own folly, we can learn some of life’s most valuable lessons!
• Choose Positive Emotions:You are the pilot of your own course in life, and you can choose to make intelligent and balanced decisions. When you find yourself automatically being guided toward the emotion of anger, for example, wait a few seconds and ask yourself if it would better serve you to change course. The ability to choose more positive emotions is something all of us have, but it’s like a muscle that needs regular exercise in order to serve us best. When you focus on flexing this muscle, you will learn to become more patient and your emotions will enhance your life instead of controlling it. This can also help you maintain healthy boundaries.
• Release Emotional Baggage:You can lower your stress level by getting clear on the underlying causes of negative emotional choices and nagging, negative thoughts. Learn to get rid of this emotional baggage by getting a free copy of “The Emotion Code” ebook and audiobook at EmotionCodeGift.com.