I have just read your article “The Healing Power of Forgiveness” in the March Psymposium magazine. I am holding bitterness, I recognize all the points in your article, but I am at a wall…what is my next step? How do “let go” I understand what you are saying, I really do, but I can’t seem to get rid of the bitterness. Can you help me with some advice please?
Gwen’s Answer:
I would say the answer is to simply decide not to focus on the issue any more. If there is still bitterness, it means we are still holding some energy around the person or situation that upset us in the first place.
I think you already know this, and have tried it. So we must look deeper. You are indeed wounded. Who can heal the wound? Sometimes we want the person who hurt us to heal the pain, but often that is just not possible.
So, we must access our inner wise and compassionate self, and use that part to heal our inner wounded, vulnerable and bitter part. Visualize yourself as the wounded one, and picture your wise, loving, compassionate part reaching out to embrace the hurting one. She needs to assure the wounded part that she loves it unconditionally, and will always be there to comfort and protect it. She must teach the wounded one that she never has to look anywhere else for comfort. She no longer needs to look outside of self for help, for everything she needs is right there, all in one-self.
Once we can do this for ourselves, we are self-healing beings, and no longer need to feel the bitterness of having no one to heal our pain or take it away.