Beloveds, there are experiences in life. Things happen to you. Someone may shove you in line. Someone may rob you. Someone may bless you. You may have no conscious choice over what happens to you.

It is easy for you to receive someone's blessings. Maybe the blessing was a beautiful gift. Maybe the blessing was money. Maybe the blessing was a smile, a welcoming word, good food. Without giving thought to it, you smile. You may even hug the person. In any case, you feel good.

Pretty much you respond as quickly and as naturally when someone does not treat you as you and I wish all would treat you. Instead of your heart rising, your heart sinks. That is not surprising.

And pretty much, when someone is truly loving, and he or she donates happiness to you, you remain happy for some time after.

And pretty much, when someone is unloving, and he or she, in effect, donates unhappiness to you, your heart sinks, and you feel baffled and affronted. When you find yourself irate, however, that is your choice. You didn't have choice of what the other person said or did. Your heart sank. Yet now you have choice.

You can brood about what happened all day. You can write angry letters. You can punch the person in the nose. You can swear. What you do or say after an event is your choice. And how long you continue to feel diminished, that is your choice. It isn't the choice of the person who offended you.

At some point, you just want to let go of thinking about it. You may not be able to forgive the other person his egregious error. Maybe you can't just yet. At the same time, you don't have to carry around hurtful resentment or outright anger. You don't have to keep them.

You may say you can't help it. I understand how you feel, and yet I tell you that you can help it. You can decide to help it. You can decide to leave the scene of the crime. You can give your thoughts another direction to go in. You can decide ahead of time that you will not let unhappy feelings linger. You can know it is not your role to let unhappy feelings take over.

No longer do you need to let an event or another person make decisions for you. You are not helpless. Even when more than your ego is hurt, you can let go of it. I don't say you can instantly forget it. I say you can decide not to pack it in your heart.

You may think it is your heart that decides all your emotions for you, yet it is your mind. Heretofore, your mind may have urged you to retaliate. Your mind is telling you what to do, not your heart.

You have become accustomed to reacting in anger or perhaps tears. Whether you actually show your anger is one thing, but storing anger within you is another. This is what you must forgo, just the way you forgo a second piece of pie. The pie is not the lord over you. Nor is anyone entitled to dictate to you how you are going to be.

It is for you to decide and to be. Someone or something did do something to you. Let go of the idea that they can't. They did. What is it that you have to defend? Your honor? Keep your honor for yourself, beloveds, and act accordingly.

I know that sticks and stones and words do hurt you. I also know that you can free yourself from added penalty. Let go, beloveds, let go. Untoward events are not lord over you.