“Never apologize for showing feelings. When you do
so, you apologize for the truth.” ~Benjamin Disraeli”
We
often experience resentment toward other people when we find it hard to forgive
them and hold onto unspoken pain.
Whenever
we feel we’ve been treated unfairly, judged, or wronged, we have a very
powerful internal reaction.
The emotions we experience are strong. We feel them
intensely and deeply, because they challenge us to reassess the self-image we
hold of ourselves.
The
unexpressed painful emotions we experience as a result of other peoples’
actions have the potential to transform into resentment if they are not
released in a healthy, effective, and timely way.
Resentment
lives inside us, feeding on our negative feelings and emotions. It becomes
stronger the longer it is ignored. It can mutate and develop into a warped
veil, which prevents us from seeing the world from a healthy, balanced
perspective.
If left unresolved, resentment has the power to be
all consuming, and is very effective at fuelling anger.
In
turn, unexpressed, internalized anger is a ticking time-bomb which can lead to
abusive or self-destructive behavior, or a combination of both.
Resentment
is a very personal and private emotion, as it has almost no effect on the
person it is directed toward.
It
resides with its owner, and causes negativity and pain.
Given
a conducive set of circumstances and enough time, I can experience resentment
on a powerful scale. I believe this is, in part, rooted in my formative years.
I was brought up in a home where expressing strong, “negative” emotions was
prohibited.
I
grew up believing it was unacceptable to express hurt, disappointment,
frustration, or anger toward the people who evoked these very emotions in me.
By
the time I reached my teen years, I had unwittingly yet wholeheartedly
perfected the internalization of painful emotions.
Resentment had found a comfortable home inside me,
neighbored by my reluctance and fear of expressing myself.
Whenever
anyone hurt me, intentionally or otherwise, I would simply deny my emotions by
storing them in a box inside me labelled “deal with this later.” However, later
never came. What did come was resentment toward the people who’d hurt
me—that and anger.
At
the time, I saw this as a kind of pay-off. “If I keep my feelings hidden and
unexpressed, then I don’t have to risk jeopardizing the quality of my
relationship with this person.”
In
truth, I was terrified of rejection.
This
fear fuelled my reluctance to express my pain to the people who’d hurt me.
Ultimately, the person who I ended up hurting the most was me.
As
a young adult I began to reflect; to try to understand how my behavior,
reactions, and choices were affecting my overall well-being and happiness in
life.
At
first, I felt weak for not being able to consciously override my existing
behavior patterns and simply create newer, healthier thought processes and
actions.
I
wanted more for myself than a life limited by my own self-imposed parameters.
It
took a lot of honest and thoughtful self examination to begin to realize,
understand, and accept what was preventing me from living a life free from
bitterness.
After years of denying myself the full spectrum of
my emotions, I resented anyone who stirred powerful, “negative” feelings inside
me. My resentment toward others was intrinsically
linked to my own inability to express painful emotions.
Looking
back, I feel that if I had expressed myself more truthfully, I would not have
clung so desperately to the resentment and anger. I also believe I would have
welcomed forgiveness and been able to enjoy closer relationships with others
more readily.
Everyone
needs to express themselves. This is not a luxury; this is an absolute
necessity.
To
be fully free and completely ourselves, we must feel comfortable enough to
outwardly express our emotions, whatever form they take.
If you are experiencing feelings of resentment, here
are a few tips that may help you to let go and move forward:
Express yourself
When
we deny our feelings, we are denying the truth. What kind of life are we living
if we are not living truthfully?
Allowing ourselves to feel our full
range of emotions is not only liberating and necessary, but it also helps cleanse
us of negativity which we may be subconsciously holding on to.
Many
of us are conditioned to see emotions as “good” and “bad.” To regard the
complexity of emotions as either black or white belies the learning
opportunities which are embedded and disguised in experiencing them.
For
example, jealousy could be regarded as a “bad” emotion; however, if we open our
minds and hearts, we could also see that this emotion is our own personal
doorway to learning more about fear, trust, and connection.
When someone hurts us, intentionally or
accidentally, we have a responsibility to ourselves to express our pain.
This
needn’t be self indulgent or pitiful, but an understanding that it is our right
to express that pain in an effective, healthy manner which helps us to let go
and move forward.
The
next time you experience a strong emotion such as fear, hurt, disappointment,
anger, fury, or panic, try using this simple mantra:
“Right now I feel (INSERT EMOTION). I give myself
permission to feel (INSERT EMOTION) because I have a right to express myself
and my emotions.”
When
we stop trying to control our feelings, and start embracing the colorful way in
which our hearts communicate with us, life begins to teach us our most
important lessons.
Communicate your
feelings
It
takes huge strength and courage to express and communicate our pain to the
people who hurt us. In doing so, we expose our vulnerable side—the very part
that we want to protect and keep safe.
But
when we communicate painful emotions, we take a step outside of our comfort
zone and into a wonderful learning and growth opportunity.
The
next time someone’s actions hurt you, try telling them how you feel. For
example, “When you raise your voice, I feel scared and disrespected,” or “When
you ignore me, it makes me feel unappreciated.” Choose the right words to
convey your feelings.
Try
to express yourself from a calm and balanced frame of mind. Your words will
have more effect if you are able to express them from a strong, healthy standpoint.
Remember that you are doing this for you. It may
also help the relationship, but your main motivation for communicating and
expressing your feelings is your commitment to living a truthful life, free
from resentment.
Practice
forgiveness
Forgiveness
is your own personal honor. The ability to wholly and truly forgive is one of
the greatest gifts you can ever give yourself.
Forgiveness
sets you free from resentment’s confines; it breaks down the walls that anger
builds and negativity reinforces.
When
we forgive, we stop letting our pasts dictate our presents. We acknowledge we
want the very best for ourselves; accepting that our past makes us the person
we are today, and embracing that.
Letting go of
resentment doesn’t necessarily lead to forgiveness, but when you embrace
forgiveness, resentment ceases to exist.
When
we commit to expressing ourselves fully, we become stronger, more confident,
and more aware.
We
cannot control what other people do, but we can control how we react. When we
practice truthful living, self-expression, and forgiveness, resentment simply
has no place or power in our lives
Written by http://tinybuddha.com
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