ACID EATS THE CONTAINER THAT CARRIES IT

Many years ago I heard the words, "acid eats the container that carries it", and that was all I needed to move quickly into forgiveness of some folks who had treated me in a very unloving way.
In working with all types of people and all types of issues with clients for many years now, I have discovered that forgiving and letting go of negative feelings, thoughts, and energy towards a person or a painful life experience is one of the most challenging behaviors for many people.
The way to inner peace and to overall wellness is through forgiveness and the willingness to release and ultimately avoid all thoughts that weaken your body, your mind and your spirit.
It is normal and human and necessary to feel the feelings associated with having been harmed in some way be it physical or emotional. We need to feel the hurt, the anger, the disappointment, sometimes the grief that goes along with painful life experiences, but we also need to ultimately release them so that we can move forward. It is when hurt and anger become resentment or depression that we begin the process of damaging ourselves instead of those that harmed us. "It is incredibly sad", I once told an adult client who had been the victim of serious childhood sexual abuse, "that your father treated you the way he did, but he has been dead for twenty years and because you chose to carry the resentment instead of going to forgiveness you are choosing to harm yourself each and every day as an adult and that is giving all the power away to the man you say you hate so very much. You had no choice as a child but as an adult you can choose to forgive and let go so that you can be free and truly heal physically, emotionally and physically".
I have also seen many folks justify their destructive behaviors of self or others by blaming it on their abusers or their ex spouse or mean mother or boss. It is very healthy actually to hold those who harmed us in some way accountable, but it is not healthy to choose destructive behavior or to continue the "victim" thinking. You want to turn those negative feelings into constructive action so that something good can come from something bad.
When you truly love yourself, which is the core concept in my wellness work, you will not choose to hold onto anything that harms you. Why would you give yourself the ulcer, the heart attack, the anxiety condition, the lack of inner peace or the cancer when you can release all toxic energy, all the inner acid by being willing to let go of  all thoughts that weaken you emotionally, physically and spiritually?
How do you do this? You have an intention to be the person you truly want and intend to be. I decided long ago that I will not give someone who has harmed me, treated me with disrespect or unloving behavior in any way,  one minute of my valuable time be it in my thoughts or in my actions. They deserve none of my energy.  When you let go of the need to punish or get back at or to even understand why someone behaved the way they did , you set yourself free.
When you truly forgive you free up and put to better use all the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds. You affirm that you have better things to do with your life and you detach and move on with inner peace and new restored energy.
So just start by being willing to forgive and do it because you love yourself enough to release anything that no longer serves you be it a thought, a belief, a negative friend, an abusive relationship.
Inner peace is found by changing yourself, not the people who hurt you. You change yourself for yourself-for the joy, serenity, peace of mind and the understanding that it can bring to your sprit.

If you want to learn more about forgiveness and letting go of destructive negative energy, please join me for my next Brunch and Wisdom event on Sunday, April 26th, at St. Martins Wine Bistro from 12:30-2:00, when I will speak on the topic:" Acid Eats the Container that Carries It: The Importance of Forgiveness and Releasing All Thoughts that Weaken You for Your Overall Well Being"   Stay Well All!