HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · MAY 2018
HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · MAY 2018
It's Springtime (no matter what that pesky
Just as you should reach out to others you've hurt and tell them you're
sorry, you need to extend forgiveness to those who reach out to you.
It's funny because this can be equally if not more challenging sometimes
because we tend to want to hold on to our anger and our bitterness.
groundhog may have said), which means it's time to open
up the windows, breathe in the smell of new blooms
(hopefully without launching into a sneezing fit) and pull
the ol' capri pants out of storage.
T
here's a feeling of renewal in
the air... of new
beginnings and fresh
starts. The New
Year's resolutions
have all crashed and burned
by now, but that's a-okay
because the warm air brings
with it another opportunity to
clean up and start over.
Except, guess
who it's hurting?
Yep, you. Refusing to forgive someone is like
drinking poison and expecting the other person
to suffer - it's just not going to happen. Instead,
all it does is fester inside of you where it leads
not only to emotional fatigue but to physical
ailments as well.
Suddenly, even people who
hate to clean find themselves
excitedly buying a new broom
at Target and feverishly
clearing out their closets.
It's all the junk that makes you feel tired,
worn down, helpless and possibly even
hopeless. And I say it's about high time for
it to take a hike, don't you?
Now, I know just reading those last two
paragraphs may have sent some of you
into a full-blown anxiety attack. It's not
exactly a fun thing to do. After all... that
is why you shoved it all down in the first
place. But it is a freeing thing to do.
And that's what it's all about, right?
Feeling cleaner, lighter and freer? Not only
in your home, but also in your spirit.
So, if you're ready to get cleaned up and
poised for your new beginning - here are
some effective (even if they're not so easy)
tips to spring clean your soul.
To regret means to "feel sad, repentant
or disappointed over something that
has happened or been done" (Google
Dictionary). Now right off the bat, you need to
pay attention to something in that definition...
do you know what it is? It's past tense. You
can't regret something that hasn't happened
yet or is currently happening. You can only
regret something that has already happened
or been done which, in and of itself, is fruitless.
If something is in the past, then you can do
absolutely nothing to change it. No matter
how hard you try. It was already over and done
with. So, ruminating over it with regret won't do
anything except make you feel miserable.
Now, of course, there may be decisions in your
past that you wish you didn't make or things
you did that you wish you could take back. But
instead of regretting them - a wasteful emotion
that only causes you turmoil - why not choose
to learn from them instead and move on? Often,
it's from some form of misplaced guilt, where
you believe if you just regret it enough, for a long
enough period of time... then "they" (whoever
they are) will know that you're really sorry.
Except, that too, is a lie. Half the time, the "they"
you are imaginarily making amends to, doesn't
even realize that you're walking around carrying all
that weight. So, make the intentional effort to let
go of regrets - whether they are over something
you did to yourself or others - learn from the
experience(s) and let it go.
22 HEALTHY MAGAZINE
Which brings us straight into the next tip - say
you're sorry. There will be some cases where you
owe someone a heartfelt apology (I'm guessing
they are already popping to mind right now) and
for those, you need to put your big girl (or boy)
panties on and just do it.
Again, this may not sound super fun, and it will
require some humility on your part. But, you
(and the other person involved) w