Resentment

“Resentment is one burden that is incompatible with your success. Always be the first to forgive; and forgive yourself first always.” - Dan Zadra

What is resentment? Well, according to the Wikipedia, "Resentment (also called rancour, or ranklement) is an emotion of anger or bitterness felt repeatedly, as a result of a real, or imagined, wrong done."

The end bit is quite interesting, "...a real or imagined wrong done." Some of us have resentment for events that didn't even happen, we just imagined them, or we perceived a situation in an incorrect way. Such is the power of the human mind.

“Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” - Malachy McCourt

I battle to understand why us humans cling to resentment so strongly. Our resentment towards others does nothing but damage ourselves. Do you think the person, or persons you are harbouring resentment towards are affected in any way? They just carry on with their lives as they would usually, while you are slowly killing yourself. Yes, resentment can actually kill you. How? Did you know that every single human being is born with the possibility of developing cancer? And before I go any further, let me upset your world even more, cancer is a disease of the mind, not the body. This is where most of you either stop reading or put up your defenses, because I have just challenged a belief you have held for so long, and your beliefs make life comfortable....

Have you ever wondered why, with all the advances in modern medicine, there is still no cure for cancer? And there never will be a medical cure, the cure will be one of understanding. Cancer is your bodies way of telling you there is something wrong with your mind, something wrong with your thinking. And resentment is the main cause for cancer. In the movie, "You Can Heal Your Life" a woman is interviewed. She did research on finding out what the common thread was in people who had been cured of cancer, of course the answer was that they changed the way they thought, about themselves and life. So, before you disagree with what I'm writing, do some research of your own.

“Hanging onto resentment is letting someone you despise live rent-free in your head” - Ann Landers

So how do we let go of resentment? Forgiveness is the only way, forgiveness of yourself and others. To forgive someone, you don't have to physically go up to them and tell them, although it would help, you can just forgive them in your own mind. How do you know if you have truly forgiven? The person or situation wont dominate your thoughts as much and you will feel a slight shift towards joy.

Some of us harbour resentment so deeply in our subconscious that we aren't even aware of it, but sooner or later, your body will let you know, and if it does, do the hard work, you're worth it.

"When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free." - Catherine Ponder