Recently, I’d gotten some upsetting news. You know the kind that leaves you steaming for weeks at the mere memory or mention of it? Yes, that is kind of news I’d received and I was upset for two reasons:
1. It was damage through a friend and
2. It was unwarranted (I had done nothing to bring it on)
At first I laughed in disbelief but my laughter was quickly followed by heart racing anger. Let’s be real, I was mad. I felt betrayed by someone I called friend and that kind of hurt is not an easy one to simply brush off. It kind of hangs out and whispers in your ear when you’re relaxing from a long and hard day. When I realized that it was overtaking me- changing my behavior, attitude and responses to others- I knew some thing had to be done. All this bitterness was sapping me dry of good energy, energy I could have been using to help some one or bake brownies, some thing had to give!
It was time to take my own advice (the same advice I’d recently given to some one else, go figure). I had to do like Elsa or is it Anna? I don’t know but the Frozen girls had it right and I had to – let it go! There is absolutely no joy, peace or productivity when we are harboring anger or bitterness in our lives. Those emotions, despite being legitimate, are like parasites. They grab a hold of you and begin to take over subtly until there is no denying their existence. Do yourself a favor, let it go!
Let’s call it an emotional detox. What helps is to acknowledge what has you feeling the way you do, call it out (or write it down). For the sake of your sanity, do not approach the person who caused the anger or bitterness- this time. Instead, let’s just focus on being able to move on with out traditional closure because fact is- some times you will never get an “I’m sorry.” Sorry or not, your mental and physical health depends on you being able to live your life freely. Here are a couple of things that helped me move on and let it go:
•Take time to breathe deeply- sounds silly but there is something great about breathing because it calms your heart rate and clears your mind.
•Think on good things- seriously, think about good things in life (your life or what you love, like peaceful moments in nature)
•Remember who you are- when we get angry or feel bitter, our true character becomes hidden and this ugly creature surfaces. That is not the true self, so remember who you are and be you. Don’t let negativity get the best of you.
If you are in a struggle with negative emotions right now remember they will only stick around as long as you make room for them. Let them go!
Written by Crystal Haynes of CrystalSays.com.
A major thank you to our Guest Writer of Inspiration, Crystal Haynes, whose words lifted beyond the page and have offered truly invaluable guidance and clarity to life’s challenges. Be sure to read Part 1: Rebounding and Part 2: On Fire, if you haven’t already, and become a regular reader of her Inspirational Blog at CrystalSays.com!
Higher Heights
Elmont and Valley Stream Community News | The Elmont Excelsior 