“Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.” – Lilly Tomlin

One may not immediately look to a comedian for words of wisdom, but Lilly Tomlin has surely provided a real gem for us with this . . . and it certainly gave me a smile when I first heard it.

At the risk of overstating the obvious, no matter what we do, we cannot change the past. Yet, traumatic events can trap us in an internal struggle that often includes hanging on to the hope that we can actually alter our personal history.

It may be worth keeping in mind that sometimes the most difficult person to forgive is ourselves. We all make mistakes. We all have regrets.

Forgiving ourselves is a powerful way to bring joy back into our lives . . . joy that we can then share with others!

If we can find a way to forgive, the chances of history repeating itself are greatly diminished . . . and the inner peace that we create will benefit our personal health, along with our relationships with others. © 2016-12-01