“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” Lewis B. Smedes
I can feel it right now in my body. My forearms are tense, I have a lump in my throat; my fingers are actually tingling. I feel tense, especially in my chest.
The company I chose to publish my book through has been treating me with horrific disrespect for months now. I paid the company more than $7000 for marketing services five months ago that they have yet to provide. Now, once I threaten legal action and request a refund for the services, now suddenly they want to move forward on the services – and quickly.
They have never once acknowledged their missteps, they have never once apologized to me, they have never once thanked me for my business or treated me like I mattered. And in total, I have spent more than $13,000 with them – more than your average self-publishing customer.
But even as I write this, I know that I’m allowing their negative energy to negatively impact me. Until I release it, I’m the one that stays in prison. Not them. They’re going to go about their business, in search of their next victim. While I remain here in my troubled thoughts or opinions about how I think I should be treated.
After spending nearly 2 decades in Marketing, I know just how damaging feedback through social media can be to growing a business. And believe me, the thought has crossed my mind to spend the next 2 days consumed with ripping them apart through every avenue I can find.
But then, this negative energy just gets the opportunity to take root in me, setting up camp and making itself at home in my soul. It will impact every other aspect of my business, taking my heart, mind and energy away from how I want to be in service. By hanging onto it for any longer, I’m allowing it to continue to affect me.
Releasing myself from the prison of negativity is my choice.
And right now, this minute, I choose to release it.
I choose to forgive them, even though they’ve never once apologized.
I choose to wish them well.
I choose to believe that pressing forward and completing these services will yield something miraculous.
And now the pain in my forearms is gone is gone, my shoulders feel lighter. The lump in my throat is gone. My chest isn’t tight. I am back in my place of peace……ahhh, much better.
What negative energy are you holding onto? Is it time to release it? Share your experiences with me.