One of the great mind body healing pioneers in our country is Deepak Chopra.  I was watching a conversation he was having on people letting go of bitterness and resentment and the power of forgiveness.  I loved his example comparison between how humans behave versus domestic pets when they are mistreated by someone else.   If people were mistreated as children they learn how to potentially mistreat others by the behavior that was modeled to them.  On the other hand if a dog was mistreated by an owner, they do the opposite and strive to love their owners regardless of the poor behavior they were shown.  A dog can wake up everyday feeling their life as anew, while hardly ever showing a sign that they had been poorly treated before in their lives.  Some behavior in humans who were mistreated is also compounded by negative emotions as adults including resentment, bitterness, anger and carrying a grudge towards others.  Conversely, a mistreated pet as they grow older forgets about any maltreatment and they never feel the need to get even.  This was a fascinating conversation on the power of forgiving others and it made me think about this subject even more.  Forgiveness is such a deep topic, that I plan to focus on one or two more full articles in the near future devoted to addressing this issue.  Today I just wanted to begin planting the notion in those that need it, that forgiveness brings you peace of mind and lots of pressure released from carrying such harsh emotions.  Although it can take some time for people to get to the point of forgiving someone else, this could be the point in your life where this option finally feels right.  It is also key to remember that forgiveness is unconditional, if you forgive someone, you cannot remind them in the future about the reasons that you forgave them previously.  The act of forgiving returns your power to you in demonstrating to someone else that although they may have hurt you, you are still here.  Forgiving can alleviate a heavy heart, clear your mind of constant unnecessary thoughts and worry, while lifting the burdens you were carrying with you for many years.  If you have an unresolved situation that may require forgiveness, please consider the benefits of doing so, as they far outweigh any other alternative.  Give yourself peace of mind, allow yourself to move forward and provide your heart with an opportunity to be full once again.