by Arden Davidson

Created on: February 01, 2010   Last Updated: March 18, 2010

DECK: You do not have to be a psychic to understand that negative emotions such as guilt and anger can ruin your chances at happiness, success and finding love.

Some people tend to think of guilt and anger as opposite emotions.  However in reality, these emotions are very similar; it is only who they are directed at that separates them. Guilt is actually anger turned inward.  If you feel guilty about something you have done that you are not proud of, that means that you are angry at yourself for disappointing yourself in some way.  When you feel upset at someone else for something they have done that you were hurt by, you are angry at them for disappointing you in some way.  So essentially, guilt and anger are the same emotion, except that one is directed at you, and one is directed at other people.  Taking this all into consideration, it only seems logical that in order to forgive others and relieve your anger towards them, you must first learn to forgive yourself and relieve your own guilt.

Nothing will steer you off your spiritual path more quickly then hanging on to old feelings of resentment, shame and remorse.  We have all known people that have let these negative emotions consume them while they turn to non-spiritual sources of comfort such as alcohol, drugs and food.  However none of these devices of instant gratification help to relieve the guilt and anger; they only serve to mask it for short periods of time.  In order to avoid letting yourself fall into this type of destructive pattern, you need a cure, not just a band-aid.  Here are some suggestions for remedying the emotional conditions that may be infecting your ability to truly enjoy life the way it was meant to be enjoyed.

Forgive yourself

The old adage that you have to forgive yourself and love yourself before you can forgive and love others is absolutely true.  Most people are much harder on themselves than they would ever be on anyone else.  But why should you expect yourself to be perfect, when you are clearly aware that there is no such thing as a perfect human being?  Gaining a better understanding of yourself and the roots of your emotions is paramount to letting them go and forgiving yourself.  It can also go a long way in helping you to forgive others, because you can impart the same processes of enlightenment onto them.

Put yourself in someone else’s shoes

One of the best ways to forgive someone is to try to see

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