"The weak can never forgive.  Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."
~Mahatma Gandhi

Holding on to old grudges zaps energy from your life. Staying angry at someone for something that might have happened a day or a year ago is unhealthy, plain and simple. It isn’t always as simple as forgetting about what happened and moving on, though, is it?

No matter how difficult you might think it will be to find forgiveness in your heart, it can be done. Sometimes you hold such a myriad of feelings inside that you can’t fully comprehend just how bitter you are. You must learn how to forgive, and these three simple steps will help you do just that.

Step 1: Remember that nobody is perfect.

One of the biggest reasons why people find it difficult to forgive is because they forget that people are not perfect. Often when you hold high expectations for others, you will be disappointed when they do things you don’t agree with. When you can remember that nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes, it will become easier for you to forgive.

Step 2: Remember it’s never as bad as it seems.

Sometimes we humans tend to blow things out of proportion. Something seemingly bad happens and you throw yourself into a tizzy because you can’t understand why someone would do something so horrible to you. Perhaps you need to take a few moments to remind yourself to breathe. Nothing is ever as bad as it may seem. When you can understand this, it will be a bit less complicated to smile and say, "Don’t worry, it’s okay…I forgive you."

Step 3: Remember a time when you sought forgiveness.

Finally, one thing we seem to forget all too easily is that there have been many times when we sought forgiveness for something we did. Remember how it felt when you were met with an unforgiving spirit during those times? Remember how long it took for you to "make it up" to that person before they finally forgave you? Don’t hold a grudge. Remind yourself of how it feels when forgiveness is withheld. Chances are, if you do that, you’ll be much more forgiving yourself.

Cup of Hope, Reflections from my heart, is now available in paperback and e-book formats through Lulu. Here’s a brief excerpt:

"The word of God is our bread of life. I have learned the times I feel weakest are when I’ve neglected my daily prayer and bible study. Just as we need nourishment for our physical bodies, we also need nourishment for our spirit. Not only does the bible feed our souls, but it is our roadmap, our guidebook that shows us the way to walk. It provides direction when we don’t know if we should turn left or right. It gives us power to…"

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P.S. If you enjoy purchase this book and enjoy reading it, please consider taking a few minutes to rate and review Cup of Hope on Lulu.com. Or come back and leave your review in the comments here. Thanks!

I’ve seen lots of people search for personal success in their life, only to end up feeling disillusioned and disgruntled when they can’t get a grip on it. More often than not, the greatest cause of this is that many people don’t really know what success means to them. Therefore, if and when they reach the pinnacle of success, they don’t know what to do with it.

Define success for yourself.

The first thing you have to do is figure out exactly what success means to you. When you think about yourself being a successful person, what do you envision? How do you picture yourself as a successful person? What does it feel like? What are you doing?

Motivate yourself.

The next step is to figure out what motivates you. Without motivation and clear direction, your personal success is merely a dream. You have to know what you want, but more importantly, how to get it.

Formulate a management plan.

Finally, how will you manage your personal success once you achieve it? How will you continue on a path of successful living? What will you do to maintain that level of success? Can you see yourself improving in other areas of your life?

Often, success is not just about achieving some goal or plan. With success usually comes great responsibility. Knowing how you will handle that responsibility once it is yours is crucial to maintaining your personal success.

We all have moments when it feels like the pressures of life are just too much. When we start feeling that way, the natural thing to want to do is run away from everything and hide from our problems. But that isn’t the answer.

Sometimes all we need to do is take a look around us at all the wonderful things we do have in our life. Living in the moment every single day of our lives is imperative to being content in any situation.

If you feel yourself slowing down and lacking the desire to even try anymore, then maybe it’s time to give yourself a break. When you are overwhelmed with life, it’s challenging to be able to feel even the smallest amount of happiness.

Practice daily gratitude to stir happiness deep within yourself again. Small changes can lead to greater ones over time. Learning how to find happiness in even the little things each day will enable you to be more content with your life just as it is.