Energy Smart

Recently we had a consultant come into our offices to evaluate our energy consumption and identify things we could do to help us conserve energy and save money on our hydro bill. The benefit to us was amazing. First, we were able to access rebates that we did not know were available to us, then we gained cosmetically appealing lighting systems and last of all, we were able to save money. This was an incredible deal - but, it required us acknowledging the consultant's report as valid, and then taking steps to embrace and implement her recommendations.

This got me thinking about 'energy depleters' in our lives and those things that drain energy from us – those things that cost us more than we are able to give. There is a saying that goes, "unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die."  When unforgiveness is active in a person's life there is a tendency to spend massive amounts of emotional energy, ruminating, reliving the instances of hurt, being resentful and thinking of ways to be vengeful. It is interesting to note that the 'objects' of our unforgiveness often float through life with a certain amount of 'normalcy' and this irks us further, causing us to be incubators of  more and more toxic emotions. We become, mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted - this is a high price to pay for what takes value and gives nothing in return.

Forgiveness is the ability to discharge yourself from the act and the person who harmed you so that you are free to heal and make different choices for yourself. The distorted thinking that exists for many is that you need the person who harmed you to ask you for forgiveness in order to heal. Though asking for forgiveness is ideal it is not necessary. Some people wait a lifetime and go to their graves waiting for someone to apologize having being held hostage to the person and circumstances. When forgiveness is extended whether asked or not, you choose to no longer allow the offending person to have power over your days and your life. You stave off the places where you hemorrhage emotional and mental energy and conserve strength for efforts that can improve the quality of your life. During this process you will access benefits because of your choice to forgive that you would have otherwise been oblivious to – such as physical health and overall wellbeing.

If you have been attached to offenders and their offenses longer than you need to, if you can't remember the last time you were free of resentment and anger; it is likely that you have "drunk" the toxic poison of unforgiveness and energy has been sapped from your life causing you misery and pain. Go ahead and choose your freedom today over the offenders and their acts and discharge yourself from their ongoing power and control in your life.  Save your energy for you - be energy smart.