"labyrinth"

“The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive. There are so many of us who will have to live with things done and things left undone. Things that did not go right, things that seemed okay at the time because we could not see the future. If only we could see the endless string of consequences that result from our smallest actions.” – John Green, Looking For Alaska

But life only moves forward, and once the doors of yesterday are closed, there is no going back. We are human—imperfect beings bound to make mistakes. Our mistakes are necessary, vital for our growth, understanding of life, and journey of self-discovery.  

There will always be people in life who will hurt us and let us down; they’re human too. We think that by holding onto our feelings of hate and anger that we are damaging those who have pained us, but in reality we are only furthering our own pain—only extending our stay in the labyrinth. 

To forgive does not mean to forget. It simply means to let go. To let go of what has happened in the past, to release yourself of the damaging feelings, and to be free of the hurt. 

Shame and hate directed towards oneself keeps us prisoners to the labyrinth for the longest. There will always be times in our life when our performance will fall short of the expectation, whether they be our own hopes or those of someone else. 

We can choose to let shame and sadness consume us because we didn’t “do it right”, because we "could have done better”, because it wasn’t perfect. Or we can acknowledge that in life, nothing is everlasting. That opportunities are given to us everyday, each moment, and forgiveness of our mistakes gives way for their presence in our lives.

But most of all, we can choose to forgive ourselves.

To treat our hurting soul like an old friend, with warmth, compassion, and understanding. You can choose to learn from the hurt, gain strength from the pain, and utilize the sour of the situation to truly appreciate the sweet of happiness.

You can choose to forgive and to let go. Your attitude is yours for the choosing. 

We may play a major role in bringing ourselves into the labyrinth of suffering, but we are also the key that leads to the way out.