I choose to see how I've succeeded, not how I've failed

Recently, a dental crown came loose.

It filled a gap from a tooth that I lost years ago due to neglect.

Root canal and all.

Back in the day, I would brush less frequently, drink soda, and view dental visits as things to avoid.

The result was that I lost a couple of teeth and had some others that needed much help to save.

Since then, my personal dental care has improved significantly.

And, thank God, I haven't even had a cavity in quite some time.

So, when it became clear that I needed to replace the crown (and went through the process of fitting for a new one,) it brought me back to that time when it seemed like I was in for a rude awakening every time I visited the dentist.

Small Gestures Go a Long Way (Let It Go, Part II)

My "Let It Go" video post got such a powerful response.

I think it's because there was a rawness to the message.

The idea that we could be hurt and hurt in serious ways and it's really up to us to decide how we want to move forward.

Many of us hold onto things and we just have a hard time relinquishing the pain because we feel that if we let it go somehow that's going to vindicate the other side. And we need to remember that letting it go is primarily for us.

Because if we let it go, then we can start to heal, and we can start to move forward. We can start to think differently about what occurred and what our future holds for us.

Learn to Let it Go

I know that it’s not easy. I have struggled with these feelings plenty myself and sometimes still do. But I also know that it can and should be done, for you more than for them. Below are some strategies that can help.

Accept what is, then let go – The past is called that for a reason. We can’t change it, no matter how much we want to. So there’s no point in reliving it. The sooner that we recognize that the faster we will come to a better place.
Recognize the Divine Element – Just because we don’t like what happened does not mean that it was not meant to be. We may not ever find out why losing that potential spouse, that job, that money or something else was in our best interest. But our belief in personal divine providence tells us that the outcome was nonetheless preordained.
Own your portion – While you may not have deserved the hurt you experienced, there may have been a part of the hurt that you are also partially responsible for. Ask yourself what you could have done differently and commit to that behavior moving forward.

Learn to Let it Go

When I say that haven’t recited this prayer properly I refer mainly to the above paragraph. After all, there have been people who have hurt me, sometimes in serious ways. They seemed very content with their behavior and most did not seek forgiveness. Even though I recognize that if we all – myself included – willingly forgave one another then we would all be able to approach God for the atonement that we desperately seek. But still, it was so hard to forgive sometimes, especially is their behavior hurt my career and/or affected my family. I suspect that most of us have struggled with this point. We simply have a hard time letting go and are prepared to hold grudges indefinitely when we feel that we were right, even to our own detriment.

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