How To Overcome Resentment

Personal Growth

It is human nature to feel resent when things do not go as per your expectations, but it can bring you down by making you feel hurt, guilty all the time. However, resentment has nothing to do with other people or any external circumstances, but it is all about how you respond to the situations. The biggest drawback of resentment is that it prevents you from enjoying the life and stops you from making progress. As long as you harbor resentment, it would be impossible for you to feel competent to take charge of your life.

The best way to handle resentment is to figure out what trigger it and deal with it. Once you come to know the real cause of resentment, it would not take much effort to find out if it really worth being resentful towards things around you. Always keep in mind that resentment is not going to harm others but only you. Here are some of the ways that you may find it helpful to overcome resentment in order to live in the present moment and make progress in life:

LEARN TO FORGIVE AND FORGET

To overcome resentment forgiving and forgetting is the most effective and appropriate way to let bygones be bygones and bury the hatchet. Clinging to your angry, hurt feelings about someone close to you hinder your capacity to move on with the flow of life and make progress in life. Blaming others or taking it to the other extreme by blaming yourself for unpleasant situations in your life is not going to help you in anyway. So if you want to overcome resentment in life, you need to learn to forgive and forget.

AVOID COMPARING YOURSELF WITH OTHERS

Comparing yourself with others is not a healthy sign because you have your own set of unique life experiences, talents, skills and expertise which are different to others. As a matter of fact, no two individuals can possess the life experiences, skills and expertise exactly the same, so measuring your self-worth by comparing yourself with others cannot give you clear outlook and at the same time that can make you feel resentful. That is why you should avoid comparing yourself with others in order to overcome resentment.

LET GO OF YOUR EXPECTATIONS

Expectation from others can make you feel resentful because people are not bound to act as per your expectations. It is not another person's fault if they do not act in such a way that suited your expectations, but it is yours because you have taken them for guaranteed. You should recognize the fact that you cannot control the action and behavior of other people, but you can control your own. So let go of your expectations from others and focus on empowering yourself to get through the trial and tribulations of life on your own.

BE GRATEFUL

If you emphasize your weakness, insecurities, problems all the time and keep your focus on what you lack in life, then you would set yourself up to resent people who you consider well-off. On the other hand, if you keep your focus on your strength, abilities, and all of the positive aspects of your life, you would not feel the urge to resent anyone and you would also make an effort to upgrade yourself in order to make your life big. So if you want to overcome resentment, you should form a habit to be grateful for what you already have in life.

Hence, resentment has a worse effect on your overall personality as well as your relationship with other people around you and that is why you need to make an effort to get over it. You are the creator of your destiny and you deserve to have a peace of mind to live a truly contented life. So to enjoy the joy of life, you should be grateful for whatever you have, let go of your expectations from others, avoid comparing yourself with others, and learn to forgive and forget in order to overcome resentment in life.