Too often, we find ourselves holding onto resentments for someone leaving us utterly hurt or disappointed. Trusting that everyone's doing their best, and doing what they know how is completely freeing of the negative emotions tied to resentment. This doesn't mean that you have to take shit from anyone simply because they're doing their best. Boundaries are important to lay down, and you should never feel that you have to accept every negative action someone takes against you. This notion also doesn't mean that the people hurting you are allowed to do so without consequence. Forgiveness is a tricky term. We often associate it with letting go for the sake of the other person. But what I've learned is that forgiveness is fully about you freeing yourself of any feelings you may have about someone else's behavior being your fault. Understanding that people are acting in the best way they know how takes away any blame on yourself for someone else's actions. It allows you to not take things so personally. When evaluating the resentments I had in some of my relationships to others, I found myself feeling attacked in some way. It wasn't until I read the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz that I understood the power of not taking anything personally. People tend act according to personal gain. Everyone's naturally pretty self absorbed. When someone's behavior consequently hurts you, rarely were your emotions even considered by the other person. For example, your significant other cheats on you. The fact is that they were only thinking of themselves and their emotions, consciously blinding themselves of considering you, otherwise they wouldn't have done it. Even in a smaller, everyday situation where a driver cuts you off in traffic. They don't care about if you're late to your appointment let alone know you, so why take it personally and ruin your own day by getting in a hissy fit about it. Of course, people should be considerate and think of the people involved and their feelings. But let's be real, some people really don't know how to do that. And when dealing with those individuals, it's important to grasp this idea that they simply are acting in the best way they know how. Accepting that the people who have hurt you were just doing their best (even if their best was a shitty attempt) allows you to release resentments you have toward them and move on. Not taking anything personally and trusting this idea that others are doing their best is all about freeing yourself, while still not allowing others to treat you unfairly. You deserve it to yourself to leave heartbreak and let downs behind you and live a life free of resentment.