Healthy Living

My mother loves to do the cryptoquote puzzles every day. I have tried solving them, but I really don’t have the patience to do them — I skip right to reading the solved quote from the previous day. A recent quote by Barbara DeAngelis caught my eye: “The more anger towards the past you carry in your heart, the less capable you are of loving in the present.” While that is good advice, I didn’t think it applied to me.

Then I read my horoscope for the same day: “Don’t let the past ruin your plans for the future. Let go of all the negativity you’ve experienced and you will see a path that offers a unique and inviting alternative to anything you’ve tried in the past. Be resolute about the decisions you make.”

That gave me pause. Seeing such similar advice offered on the same day made me reconsider. Maybe it was germane and relevant after all. But isn’t that good advice for everyone, whether we are a Scorpio, Virgo or a Capricorn?

As we near the end of 2015, we make resolutions to improve our life. We want 2016 to be better, to outshine and surpass the current year. Perhaps a worthwhile resolution for all of us could be to practice forgiveness and let go of negativity.

There is evidence that there are health benefits to practicing forgiveness. Researchers have found that people who spoke about forgiveness and empathy and don’t hold grudges have lower stress levels, a healthier heart, higher pain tolerance and lower blood pressure.

Having a forgiving heart may lower both emotional and physical pain, according to a study done by researchers at Duke University Medical Center. Out of 61 subjects who suffered from chronic back pain, those who were more likely to forgive reported lower levels of pain, leading researchers to believe that “a relationship appears to exist between forgiveness and important aspects of living with persistent pain.”

Buddha once said, “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” That’s a simple and clear illustration for us to ponder.

I have read that forgiveness is one of the best secrets to a longer life. My sisters and I have always agreed: Our mother never holds a grudge. Maybe the knack for completing cryptoquote puzzles and the ability to forgive and move on is why she is still going strong at the age of 94.