“If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouch and the brainstorm were not for us. They may be the dubious luxury of normal men, but for alcoholics these things are poison. We turned back to the list for it held the key to the future. We prepared to look for it from an entirely different angle. We began to see that the world and its people really dominated us. In that state, the wrong-doing of others, fancied or real, had power to actually kill. How could we escape? We saw that these resentments must be mastered, but how? We could not wish them away say more than alcohol. This was our course: We realized that the people who wronged us were perhaps spiritually sick. Though we did not like their symptoms and the way these disturbed us, they, like ourselves, were sick too.”- pg. 66- 67 How It Works from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous
We hear time and time again that resentment is the number one offender. It takes more alcoholics out and keeps more alcoholics from seeking alcohol addiction help than anything else. If we are to live a happy, joyous, and free life we must learn to rid ourselves of our resentments and let go. In a 30 day rehab program, AA, drug addiction detox, or sober livings we learn how to turn everything over to a power greater than ourselves, as well as forgive. It is important that we are able to forgive ourselves and others for the wrongs done to us or that we have done. Forgiveness happens when we let go of the hope that we can change the past. If we are able to stay in the moment most of the time then we will have an easier time dealing with ourselves and others because when we are living in the present we are able to have enough clarity to see that while we may not always get what we want or at least what we think we want we always get what we need.