Very often, we believe that if our external circumstances were to change, our internal stresses would be eliminated. We also tend to react strongly to situations in the environment when they awaken old wounds.
As human beings, we expend a great deal of energy fighting with or defending ourselves against the outer world, and particularly the circumstances of our own lives. Once we accept that the solution is to look inside ourselves and modify our beliefs, we have the chance to repair the wounds of the past and be free of them. Healing takes place as we embrace self-responsibility, flexibility, and awareness. More specifically, illness is nothing less than an opportunity to evolve by behaving differently than our parents and ancestors, at least in certain areas.
A health challenge is often rooted in a misinterpretation about others or what we believe the circumstances around us mean. An experience is neutral in itself, but we transform it in our mind, molding it and shaping it to match the model that we know. It is easier to forgive others (and ourselves) once we understand this principle. This is especially important because forgiveness is one of the most powerful healing forces in the universe.