Releasing the Poison: Letting Go of Anger Through a New Story

There’s a Buddhist proverb that says, “Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” It’s one of those lines that hits a little too close to home when you really think about it. Anger can feel justified and sometimes even righteous. But the longer we hold it, the more it seeps into every part of our being, quietly poisoning our peace.

For years, I couldn’t forgive my mother’s best friend for having an affair with my dad and ultimately contributing to the end of my parents’ marriage. It devastated my mom, and watching her heartbreak left a mark on me that lasted decades. My dad eventually married this woman, and to be honest, I spent years calling her my stepmonster (or, on a bad day, Cruella DeVille).

This all happened over 30 years ago, and yet I carried that anger for far too long. The funny thing is, my stepmonster wasn’t affected by it at all. She went on living her life while I was the one lugging around all that emotional baggage.

Eventually, I realized that as a spirit having a human experience, I didn’t need to keep reliving that story. My anger wasn’t protecting me. It was imprisoning me. Once I saw that my memories of what happened were just one version of the story (colored by pain, loyalty, and grief), I started to soften. I didn’t rewrite the past, but I did rewrite the story I was telling myself about it.

Forgiveness didn’t excuse what happened. It simply freed me. You can do the same. So today, take a breath and ask yourself: What story from my past am I still carrying that’s ready to be rewritten?

Remember — you’re not changing the facts. You’re reclaiming your freedom.

You can rewrite your story—and yourself. 💫