When you forgive, you in no way change the past - but you sure do change the future.

Bernard Meltzer, United States, Radio Presenter and Author, 1916-1998 The late Bernard Meltzer obtained a civil engineering degree from the City College of New York and additionally gained a master's degree in economics and city planning from the University of Pennsylvania, which line of work he initially undertook, as well as other employment in the finance sector, but despite these lofty qualifications in mid-life he became a radio host. Meltzer used to present a live phone-in show called 'What's Your Problem?' providing callers from the public with advice on a wide range of topics, such as finances, affairs of the heart and the hum drum, such as home improvement and repairs. 'What's Your Problem?' aired from the mid-sixties to the mid-nineties. The show was immensely popular and Meltzer built a massive following, to the degree that some people tried for years to get through to him. He became fondly known to his listeners as 'Doctor Meltzer,' partially because of a doctoral degree in philosophy, economics and finance that he had additionally studied by correspondence from Columbia Pacific in California, which also contributed to his advisory credentials, but over and above that because of his soft, soothing voice and comforting, inspirational words. Amicable and Considerate Meltzer was Jewish by faith, and chose to work on a Sunday espescially to enable some of his Christian colleagues to have their sabbath off, the Jewish sabbath being on the Saturday. Of his own volition he included a prayer (irrespective of faith) on every program. "When you forgive, you in no way change the past - but you sure do change the future." A lack of forgiveness, whether of yourself or of another person/people can block you from finding peace in life and moving on towards other goals. You need to purge all forms of negativity from your thoughts and emotions, on all levels of your consciousness, so that there can be harmony between yourself and the rest of the world and other people can reflect back to you, like for like, as they do what you truly think and feel. If you have forgiven everyone in your life there will be a genuine sense of love and goodwill to all from you and it will be evident in your life, as well as your character and speech, that you believe and expect the world to be a place of goodness and mankind to be generally decent. Sometimes we know we need to forgive, we know we have held on to bitterness, anger and resentment, we are aware we hold an outright grudge. At other times, we don’t realise we are holding on to unforgiveness, but if there is still pain when a certain subject is mentioned or a certain person, for example, then you will come to realise that there is still an underlying issue to be resolved, because if you had been healed of the pain you wouldn’t hold anything against anyone. Unforgiveness is a negative emotion and all negativity is very draining to the person who posesses it and takes a lot of energy to maintain, that is why holding on to bad emotions makes a person feel exhausted. You can't change what is past but you can release it so that it doesn't have a hold on you anymore. Recognise who or what needs your forgiveness, stop nursing that old wound, feeling sensitive when the topic is mentioned, confront your emotions. Forgiveness is about setting yourself free, not the other person. If you are always angry at the tax office, or the government, or the person who stepped on your toe last year, it is yourself you are hurting and punishing with your resentment, not them. You need to liberate yourself from the heavy burden of negativity, be that guilt if you are still blaming yourself for something, or negativity towards others, even despising other people or the world for the way it is or they are. So how do you forgive? Well what you don’t need to do is go and confront anyone or make them sorry, or make them apologise, it’s just about you. You also don’t need to go over and over the pain in your head or clarify what a great injustice was done to you, or is being done to you, you’ve probably already been doing that. Focusing on the negative feelings will attract a vicious circle of more negative feelings. Instead become aware that you have taken on the role of being a victim, and that is precisely what it is, a ‘role’ you take on and you don’t need to. It is a way of thinking that you learned along the line, allowing yourself to feel helpless and useless. Acknowledge that you have done that to yourself and then let it go, replace that with a feeling of new power, you are powerful, you are in control of your thoughts and emotions, you are in control of your life. Start to radiate love and thankfulness and positivity. Put that energy out into the world and you will receive more of the same back. Unforgiveable Injustices No matter how terrible that particular injustice was that was done against you, how far-reaching the consequences in your life, you are not alone in suffering such like and you cannot allow yourself to dwell on all the negativity it generated, your power is in recognising that the PRESENT negativity stems from you alone, and turing the tide of negativity in this world. Recognise that your perception and your judgement of that act or situation or person, your reliving of it generates the only negativity now. The judgements you made or make, and the story you keep telling yourself about that over and over strengthens and feeds the negativity over the years. Yes it was wrong, "when you forgive, you in no way change the past - but you sure do change the future," you are not endorsing what anyone has done, theft, murder, etc., but true forgiveness will only come when you let go of judgement as well. You need to say, “I love you” to the world and all of mankind in its flawed glory and move on, declare thanks that you are alive today and count your blessings. Use your presence in the world for good. When there has been something really terrible this is inestimably tough to do and can take time to be felt genuinely, but it’s essential to do, if for no one other than yourself, really let go of all negativity and buried bad feelings, let all of your heart be positive and loving, it is feels so much better when all of you is in harmony with what is good again and the spiral downwards will turn upwards, you'll see.