Anger and Resentment
Trying to let go of old wounds
According to the Oxford American Dictionary, resentment is defined as "bitter indignation at having been treated unfairly. The definition includes the fact that people can harbor resentments going back many years."
Even though is may very well be true, that someone hurt you very badly in the past; if you continue to hold on to this feeling; you may not be able to move forward, you can not empower yourself to let it go. An important step for all adults is to acknowledge that what happened in the past cannot be undone and that what we can do NOW is build better lives for ourselves in the present and future. To do this is to take responsibility for one's behaviors and choices in the present.
While most people believe that if they receive an apology from someone who has "wronged" them in the past, they will feel better; research shows that the act of FORGIVING has a much more profound effect.
There is no better way to hold onto the bitter past than to relive horrible events that happened then. There is no better way to relive the awful past than to continue to blame others. Resentment is malignant.There is a quote from Buddha about how anger and resentment are like holding hot coals, intending to throw them, but in the meanwhile, it's your hands that are burning.
"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned." ~Buddha
adapted from an article by Allan N. Schwartz, PhD
