Some people give you wings. Others place weights on your heart. Even more confusing are the people you thought gave you wings, only to realize how much they weighed you down.

Time is a healer, some say. I think it takes more than time to heal.

It also requires reclaiming who you are in the face of the heartbreak you felt.

The art of healing lies in setting yourself free of those weights. Forgiveness for the weight-bearing soul who laid heavily upon you plays a great role in that. One of my best friends recently reminded me that forgiveness isn’t about the other person.

It is about us, unshackled.

Whether you have a client relationship or a love relationship that is weighing you down, now, as we near year’s end, is a good time to reevaluate the situation. Is it worth your time to suffer as you do? Suffering is not what life is about. In fact, suffering isn’t necessary at all, although we seem to do it so well.

Mastering the art of healing can keep you strong and alert the next time someone wants to push you to the bottom of the ocean.

Learn to say “no” well. It could be the very salvation you seek.