Friday July 10, 2009 Welcome to today's edition of Healthy Living with Ellie Krieger.

Today's Small Step: Forgive and forget. Find Forgiveness The poet Alexander Pope said: "To err is human, to forgive divine." Medical research has shown that forgiveness is good for the heart as well as the soul. One study found that when people dwelled on slights from their past, their blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle tension all increased, indicating that their bodies were physically stressed when they were in an unforgiving state. Harboring a grudge or resentment against someone or something can only have a negative effect on your health. Forgiving someone can release this negative energy and positively affect how you feel. Today, I'd like you to perform an exercise in forgiveness. Forgiving someone when he or she has hurt you can be extremely difficult. But true forgiveness can set the stage for a deeper relationship, help prevent disagreements about inconsequential things, and improve your health. Many people find that writing a letter to the person who hurt them is helpful. So today, get out all your feelings and frustrations on paper. Pretend you're facing the person who hurt you, and tell him or her how you feel. Then rip the letter into tiny pieces or burn it to symbolize that you are putting the incident behind you permanently. (Alternatively, you can try talking to someone close to you about what happened — this may allow you to vent and gain perspective.) Then make a conscious effort to let the incident go — don't keep bringing it up. Dwelling on it, especially with the person you've forgiven, may prevent you from really forgiving and moving on. Now mamamootys words: The past is literally gone. Those minutes are no longer here, only the present is here. When we hold a grudge it only hurts us. Let it go, chances are that the person who offended you never ever thinks of that incidence and your the only one suffering. Free yourself. Lets learn to love and open our hearts so that we may be like the savior and make our lives and others lives happy. Love mom