Toxic Emotions

I walked into Wellspring yesterday.  Just 3 days until a 70 year old business closes it's doors.  It was during my last few years there that I had symptoms (a pain in my back) and then was diagnosed with cancer.  Because of my pain and my quest for self awareness, I gravitated towards the health section of the store.  One book, Deadly Emotions caught my eye and I decided to read it.

Because of the circumstances and dynamics of my life, I found myself in a constant state of stress.  For a time I would even diagnose myself as having clinical depression.  I cried a lot.  Laid in bed a lot.  I had this overwhelmingly futile feeling.  I felt trapped in my circumstances and felt there was no good way for me to get out of them.  Perhaps you have suffered from this as well.  Only those who have been really depressed know the extent at which it can paralyze you.

Anyway, after reading the book Deadly Emotions I realized that every single bit of bitterness, anger, rage, hate and stress could effect my body.  To this day I wonder if one of the factors causing my cancer was the amount of rage and bitterness I felt.  I truly could not get over some of the things that made me so angry and yet I felt so helpless to do anything about.

One of the hardest things to do is to let those things go.  Especially stress.  If you are living with something that stresses you it is hard to release that stress.  It may be financial problems, relationship problems, health, job loss - you name it.

Also it is very hard to forgive.  How do you forgive someone who keeps hurting you?  What if they don't perceive the hurt?  It is just the way they are but for you, it feels like a constant wounding.  With every snide word, sarcastic comeback, belittling statement, condescending glance, the anger gets the most of you and you don't want to forgive that person.  The unforgiveness turns to bitterness.

So what does that do to your body?  It places unnecessary stress on your heart.  It causes aches and pains and cancer and stomach issues.  It effects your body.  It hurts you not only psychologically but physically.

We've got to release the toxic emotions.  We have to forgive knowing that the person who we are forgiving may never acknowledge they need forgiving.  We need to breathe in the midst of our stress.  We need to go to counseling.  We need to exercise.  We need to eat healthy.  We need to let go and let God!