Be Shamelessly Happy: Forgive, Forget and Flourish

A wise man once said that a grudge is like a stone in the heart. Heavy. Cold. Silent, yet weighing us down in ways we can barely measure. We’ve all been told to forgive, to release, to let go. And so often, we convince ourselves that we have, because we stopped reacting, because we distanced ourselves, because we quietly send love from afar while still holding that invisible wall. But deep within, the story remains. The story of what they did, how they failed us, how they broke us, how we will never let it happen again. That story becomes the lens through which we see them, the script we hand them to act out every time they walk into our lives. And then we nod knowingly “see, I told you so.” But this is not forgiveness. This is not letting go. This is living in a prison of your own making.

We cling to the saying “forgive but don’t forget,” not realizing that this is exactly what keeps us chained. Because if you don’t forget, if you don’t truly delete the story, then forgiveness is only half-formed, a mask worn over the same old wound. Forgetting does not mean erasing memory, it means surrendering the story, refusing to keep the file open, choosing instead to meet each moment fresh, without the shadow of the past dragging itself into the present.

And yes, sometimes the hurt is grave. Sometimes the betrayal cuts deep enough to shake our very faith in people, in goodness, even in God. But no matter how heavy the pain, the experience itself is still a teacher. It comes not to punish, but to reveal. To show us where we must grow softer, kinder, more resilient, more open. Every wound is a mirror, reflecting not what they lack, but what we must still awaken within ourselves. In the end, that is the only journey any of us are truly on: to become better human beings. Better in how we love. Better in how we accept. Better in how we hold happiness, not just for ourselves, but for one another. Everyone is walking that same road - some fast, some slow, each in their own time.

We often call it wisdom when we keep our distance, when we say we’re protecting ourselves. But beneath that, it is fear. Fear of being hurt again, fear of being vulnerable, fear of being open-hearted. The mind builds walls and names them safety, but what they really are is prisons dressed up as fortresses. And all the while, our hearts ache for freedom.

There is another way. A lighter way. The way of being shamelessly happy. Laugh at your experiences. Smile at the lessons. Play with them as though they are games the Divine has tossed your way. “Oh, this is what you give me? Fine, I will laugh. Fine, I will love. Fine, I will dance.” Because the experience does not define me. What defines me is the light I carry in my heart, the love I allow to flow through my being, the indestructible faith in yourself.

To be shamelessly happy is to hold an unshakable faith that you are always loved, always protected, always cared for. It is to know with certainty that the Divine only wants the best for you, and that nothing, no betrayal, no rejection, no cruelty has the power to undo that truth. When you live in this faith, you no longer need to write stories about others. You no longer need to label them by their failures. You see them as God sees them - pure souls, learning, faltering, unraveling their own layers, stumbling back toward their own light.

Do you think God holds grudges? Do you think He keeps a ledger of mistakes, waiting to punish? No. He gives chances again and again, because He knows that actions do not define His children, intentions do. Because He knows that within every falter is the possibility of rising. And if the Divine can hold such faith in us, why do we not hold it in one another?

So today, gather in your heart all those who have hurt you, all those who broke your trust, all those whose very memory aches like an old scar. Look at them in your mind and whisper: “I forgive you. I delete the story about us. I believe you are a pure soul, and I choose to see only that.” And when they falter again, as humans sometimes do, give them another chance, not with blind closeness, but in your heart. Send them blessings, the way you would hand medicine to someone sick. Because a wounded soul needs healing, not more rejection.

This is what it means to truly let go: not to erase the person, but to erase the story. Not to protect yourself with judgment, but to protect yourself with faith. For faith is the strongest shield you will ever carry. When your heart rests in faith, you know that no matter what comes, you are safe, and you will only attract love and bliss. And slowly, people will look at you with wonder. They will ask, “How is it that you are so free? How is it that you carry no grudges, no bitterness, no ego?” And the answer will be simple, you stopped carrying stories. You stopped defining yourself by what happened. You chose joy over pain, love over fear, faith over judgment.

This is meditation in its truest sense. Not minutes stolen in silence, but every breath, every moment, lived in trust and goodness. Meditation is choosing to believe in the light within yourself and the light within others, even when shadows appear. Meditation is knowing that painful experiences will fall away like autumn leaves when you vibrate with love. Meditation is laughing, dancing, smiling shamelessly, because you know you are always held in the palm of the Divine.

So delete the stories. Drop the stones. Let your heart fly unburdened. Be shamelessly happy, fearless in your faith, radiant in your joy. For you were never meant to live in the weight of grudges. You were meant to live as love itself.