Photograph taken by Ruth Burton

Sometimes, as I face dilemmas in my life, I get far too much into my own mind. I think, and think, and think some more about a subject. At times, I am able to come up with things that I feel are positive. But many times, I do nothing more than to scare and even confuse myself. However, when I am in the right space, the truth is that my thoughts do not change the constant Love force that is around and surrounding me.

I must remember that I have the option to look at my situations from a place of fear, or to look at them through the eyes of Love. Fear would tell me that I am not good enough, there is not enough to go around, or I cannot have the things I desire. It would focus on and look at what I do not have, what I could lose, or what I believe is missing with a added emphasis on the inability to get what I need. It would further look at the circumstances around me to find proof of my dilemmas so as to reinforce my fears and increase my anxiety. This, I believe, is the way that many of us operate.

Love, on the other hand, would remind me that all that I could ever want is already given and available for me. It would tell me that, in Truth, I am Love, forever connected to that Higher Power whose Will for me is everything good. It would tell me to choose peace in place of fear and to remember Who I am as I gently return to the feeling of connectedness that is always there at any given moment.

It matters not what dilemma we are facing in our lives. We have a choice in the moment of ‘now’ to look towards the darker side of the situation, i.e. fear, or to turn our attention towards the Love that is our Truth. It is constantly and patiently waiting for us to place our faith in It’s Power to handle any difficulty we might be facing in our lives.

We are not required to walk through life alone. Surrender and give your concerns to the power that knows all of the avenues for bringing about a resolution…a resolution that surpasses any of the solutions you could possibly manage on your own. Have faith and turn your attention towards Love.

Photograph by Ruth Burton

So you made a mistake. You know which one I’m talking about — the one you still feel “guilty” over after all this time. Even more, it’s the one your partner won’t let you forget. My question to you is: How well is that working in your relationship? If it’s not, then keep reading.

Regardless of the mistakes you’ve made in the past, there comes a time when you need to let them go and move on because guilt feelings in the long term do not serve you. In fact, they can often work against you.

Continuing to carry guilt over a mistake you made will never change the past. The past is over and it is only your guilt that keeps it alive. When you hold onto guilt, you allow the mistake you made to be kept alive by continuing to apologize or defend yourself to others… about something that is over. You allow your partner to manipulate you and use your guilt against you, often to get their way. Your partner may not even be aware they are doing this. When you feel guilty, it merely keeps you in a place of berating yourself up and giving away your power.

Now you may say that it is your partner that keeps it alive because he or she is the one that continually brings it up, but understand this — your partner is merely reflecting what is going on within you. Through the Law of Attraction, you are drawing your partner’s behavior to you. Think about it. We attract by the thoughts and feelings we predominantly focus on. Every time we feel guilty, we are in essence criticizing ourselves and, therefore, attracting more criticism from our partner.

Yes, it’s true that sometimes we do things that can hurt other people, and yes, it can take time for them to heal. However, when possible, we need to clean up our mess and then make a conscious choice to let go of the past and do things differently in the future. We need to become more conscientious of the decisions we make.

No matter how we are dealing with it, the mistake is over. It is no longer here. If you have sincerely done what you can to set things right, then it’s time to let it rest. You should not have to “pay” for your mistakes forever. If your partner continues to bring them up, then be patient with your partner’s feelings; however, respectfully decline to talk about it anymore. In time, if your relationship is going to make it, there has to be a time when your partner will need to trust you again. It is through your actions over time, not your words, that will show your partner you have changed. However, you must be clear on the subject. If you still carry guilt, neither your words nor actions will matter. You must release your guilt and trust yourself if you expect your partner to trust you. Anything else will only continue to negatively affect the relationship.

Releasing guilt applies to any mistakes, large or small, that lead to guilty feelings. Oftentimes, if we do not deal with the smaller things we feel guilty over, they only lead to bigger mistakes. So, if you’ve been carrying around that “guilt”, perhaps it’s finally time to let it go, not only for your sake, but for the sake of your relationship, as well.

Releasing is a powerful tool. Releasing brings us comfort and lets us know that what we have asked for is being handled by the Universe, Source, God, or our Higher Power. It is a form of having faith and letting go of the struggle. It is a way of reminding ourselves that the Universe absolutely has the power to manifest our desires. When we feel the peace that the power of releasing gives us, we find that what we desire comes quicker and with much less effort. But there is more to it than this.

In order to manifest your desires, you must learn to release the past and those that you feel have done you wrong. This is what’s also known as forgiveness. When you forgive, you are not necessarily doing this for the other person; you are doing this for yourself. Neither are you saying that what they did was right. But what you are doing is releasing the negative energy that holds you back from having what you desire. Enough cannot be said about the power of releasing others. In fact, it is so important, it can sometimes make the difference between whether something you desire manifests or not.

Releasing can be done at any time, however, releasing right before you go to sleep at night works well. When finished, you can then just drift off to sleep.

Start by releasing the worries and struggles of your day. Release any need to control others. Release any concerns you have about how you are going to get a particular task done. But most importantly, little by little, release everyone you hold negative energy towards, including yourself. Release, release, release and know that every question you’ve asked will be answered. Know that everything you could possibly need will be given to you. And know that as you do this process, you will begin to receive more love, peace, joy, and guidance…just by releasing.