Bitterness

"Bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die."
I don't know if I stole this quote from someone, or if I somehow came up with it myself. Almost certainly the former. If that is so, I apologize for not giving them the credit. If the latter, I might have just come up with the coolest quote ever. Cool not in the "Wow that's awesome" sense, but hopefully thought provoking and insightful.
I really learned what this quote meant at a very special and critical time in my life. A turning point, if you will. I had held on to bitterness for a long, long time and though I thought I had it under control, it was really limiting my emotional and spiritual growth. It was like a messed up pet that I had that I could bring out to entertain and haunt myself. It sounds ridiculous now as I look back on it, but I have found that this experience is all too common.
Lets try and cut a two hour lecture down to a handful of sentences. For one, bitterness and hate will do nothing positive for you in the long run. A good motivator, yes, but will only leave you empty at the end. Drop it like the book bag of bricks that it is and you will find freedom so rich that you might as well be able to fly. Like the quote points out, bitterness doesn't change the situation, it only destroys you. You can't change the person or situation, but you can control how you think about it. Don't hang on, let it go.
I could go on, but I think you catch the drift. Goodnight all.