Continuing to carry yesterday's hurts with you, will hurt you far more than anyone else. Forgiveness means no longer scratching wounds so they continue to bleed. When we harbor resentment towards another or ourselves, it festers in our bodies and can cause a multitude of problems, including chronic and even terminal conditions. Traumatic emotional issues can literally eat away at the body. "Resentment is like drinking poison, expecting it will kill your enemies." - Nelson Mandela
Studies now show that the lack of forgiveness has measurable impact on our bodies. People with a variety of illnesses have had symptoms lessen, and even disappear when they learned to forgive.
Holding onto grievances is really a decision to continue to suffer. Why would we consciously choose to do that? Forgiveness of ourselves and others is the ONLY way to release us from a painful past. Even though something traumatic or upsetting occurred in our past, does not mean every day from that moment on has to be ruined. We wouldn't go digging through yesterday's garbage to make our dinner tonight...so why would we choose to let yesterday's injustices continue to ruin our lives today? YOU have the power to choose a different future!