Forgiveness

This is a subject that I struggle with, and honestly don't do very well with. It's hard to make peace with someone who has wronged you. And yet, it's the right thing to do.

Taking any sort of philosophical reasoning for it out of the equation, forgiveness seems to promote self-healing. I've gone a long time winding myself up over slights, real or imagined. The funny thing is, it's hurting nobody but me.

Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately, depending on your point of view), I have not developed psychic powers that enable me to fry people with my mind. It's a good thing, because my negative thoughts would have probably reduced our population down quite a bit. So all these bad thoughts I have towards someone who's made me mad do nothing at all but give me ulcers. If it's not hurting them, and it's not helping me, why do it? When I think back on a couple of particular wrongs I've felt were inflicted on me, my blood pressure boils. My hands get shaky, my breathing gets quick. I can feel my stomach roil. And to what end? The people I'm mad at could care less. I'm not doing anything to help the situation. I'm just taking years off my life. I can't afford to do that anymore.

Best just to let it go. Doing that is a bit much, however. Realizing the futility of the anger is a good first step. It makes it a bit easier, though not much.

I've also learned to let my self-recrimination go a bit, as well. It's hard to move on in your life dwelling on mistakes made in the past. Better still just to move along. Learn from the mistake, but don't bog down thinking about it.

The Bible mentions not letting the sun go down on your anger, and that's some good, practical advice. I'm amazed at how much one's spiritual, physical, and mental health seem to walk hand in hand.

In the meanwhile, my neighbors and their all-night barking dog haven't been telepathically reduced to a smoking pile of ashes. This is a good thing for all concerned.