zombieland_

When someone has hurt you—deeply to your soul—it’s tempting to want to shut down and shut off; to give in and give up; to get bitter, resentful, depressed—and all before breakfast!

This soul-shutting-down tendency reminds me of those classic zombie horror movies. You know, those unconscious, soulless zombies walking around in darkness, taking bites out of innocent, happy, soulful people? One chomp, then, suddenly, these newly bitten folks find themselves becoming zombie-like themselves—they feel their souls shut down; they crave spending time in darkness; they want to bite others.

Likewise, if you’ve suffered from an emotional zombie bite, it’s temping to want to join the zombie crowd and shut off your soul, seek dark thoughts, and chomp upon another. It’sespecially tempting to chomp upon the zombie chump who chomped upon you!

Basically, when you’ve been bitten by a zombie, you can find yourself feeling the urge to become zombie-like yourself. But you must resist. You must stay strong. You must keep your soul alive!

How?

 First, you must face toward the light—where love, forgiveness, peace, faith, joy, and growth can all be found. All of this light is what keeps your soul alive—and keeps you from becoming an unconscious, soul-dead zombie.

Zombie-like behavior cannot survive in the light. Zombie-like behavior thrives in darkness, with a shut-down soul—and well-fed ego—an ego which survives on being right about having the right to be bitter, resentful, and depressed—all before breakfast.

One the biggest sources of light to keep your soul alive is Self-love. And one of the biggest sources of self-love?

Forgiveness.

 Forgiveness can start with forgiving yourself for being bitten by a soulless zombie. After all, chances are, the zombie who chomped upon you didn’t look like a zombie. Just like in the movies, these soullesszombies often pass themselves off as normal soulful people.

Next, you have to forgive the zombie who bit you.  Remember, forgiving your zombie will release their poison from your system. Forgiving your zombie will help to make sure you save your soul from shutting down. Forgiving your zombie will make sure you don’t start craving constant dark thoughts. Forgiveness releases the zombie-bite poison from your system.

Remind yourself that your zombie probably became a zombie because a zombie bit them. And the zombie who bit them, was bitten by a zombie. And the zombie who bit them, was bitten by a zombie.

Feel compassion for these zombies—knowing that they, sadly, must walk the earth living with a shut-down soul—never experiencing  their own soul, dancing and shining with the light of love, forgiveness, peace, faith, joy, and growth.

If you’ve recently been bitten by a zombie, take a moment to vow to yourself that you will do what you can to save this planet from being overtaken by zombies, by making sure you, at least, won’t become a zombie yourself.

- Karen Salmansohn

The first to apologize is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. The first to forget is the happiest.