Holding onto Grudges

We often hear the term “holding a grudge” but what does it really mean? According to the dictionary, a grudge is “a feeling of ill will over some grievance, or to harbor resentment.” So holding a grudge means to carry the burden of resentment or bitterness. We can spend a lot of energy fueling negative emotions just to “hang on” to our negativity. In fact, holding grudges can make us so miserable it can cause difficulty in our relationships with friends, relatives, co-workers, and romantic interests. And if we harbor feelings of resentment about past relationships, it can be difficult to form healthy relationships in the future.

By letting go of our grudges, we can release past hurts and free ourselves from the burden of resentments and negative feelings. When we make the decision to “let go” of grudges, we find we no longer define ourselves by how we’ve been hurt. Making a decision means accepting we have a choice. We can choose to continue feeling the hurt or we can choose to bring joy back into our lives. When we let go of our negative feelings, we can find inner peace and balance that allows us to move forward in life.