Give Thanks to Heal Old Wounds

The title may make you curious enough to read this blog with a smirk on your face, saying to yourself, “No way.” It has been my experience that, indeed, you cannot simply push away old pain, resentment, or the memory of deeds done that caused you harm. These are the areas of your soul that are in shadow, or the dim, cloudy, dark corners in your mind – sometimes even the cells of your body.

However, these same dark recesses do respond to the light and “lightness” of gratitude, joy, laughter, and love. You’ve heard that the best revenge is to live a great life. Yes, it is! An even better revenge is to no longer care about the wrongdoer, or the situation, by putting your energies elsewhere. Your focus shifts into a higher frequency by simply teaching your mind where to go.

This may sound complicated. However, if I were to get into the human behavior patterns and the chemical stimulation of brain function to certain behavioral functions, it would boil down to this – gratitude heals. Yep, that’s what I said. Being grateful stimulates the brain chemistry that we associate with laughter and falling in love!

Focusing on the wounds, the events, the limitations, and the negative ramifications of the original wounding pulls brain function down. When it goes down, so does our outlook on life, energy, and the ability to interact in social situations and relationships. When we focus on what we’re grateful for on a daily basis, we can start to train our minds to lighten up our outlook!

I have an exercise I use when I’m angry or upset with someone. I pray for them to get all the things in life I desire. I ask that the universe bring them love and understanding. I ask that they receive health and happiness. I do this for seven days in a row. If I forget, or just don’t do it one night, I have to start over. It’s never failed to release my anger and let me be compassionate for that person after those seven days. Perhaps this is another example of the same theory? Either way, I spend more time being present in my life, than being angry in my head over something that is done and over, or that hasn’t even happened yet!

As Ram Dass says, “Be Here Now.” You shouldn’t dwell on what has happened, or what could happen, but you can find some aspect of today to be happy about. Did someone let you in ahead of them in traffic? Did a child smile at you in a store? Did you watch your favorite TV show tonight? Oprah suggests writing down five things that you are grateful for each night. Try this experiment and the exercise, and let us know how it worked for you!