14. Let It Go

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

One of the most liberating tools for empowering peacebuilders is learning to let go. We carry so many burdens with us, from our childhoods throughout our lives. We carry hurts and wrongs that were done to us. We carry regrets about things we wish we had or hadn't done. We hide these memories, but the anger and hurt and regret can influence the way we think and interact without our even knowing it.

Some people let their pride destroy in one moment, a relationship that took a lifetime to build. Each side is waiting for the other to say that they were wrong, to say that they are sorry. What we forget to realize is that often right and wrong is a matter of perception. Both sides may perceive that they were wronged. Sometimes letting it go, and saying I'm sorry will break down the walls and allow you talk constructively about the problem.