There seems to be a podcast for everything.

I recently found one on, of all things, grudges.

I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was.

“How to Hold a Grudge” is a 91-plus-episode podcast designed to help people understand their grudge and, perhaps, redirect it.

Don’t misunderstand, this isn’t just a grievance fest full of whiny, privileged people sharing illustration after illustration of grudges. It was episode after episode of why grudges are healthy and how to use them for betterment.

Can there really be so many people who hold grudges that a podcast exists to help them nurture their grudges? I was intrigued, to say the least.

So I popped in my earbuds and went for a walk, listening to the host, Sophie Hannah, a self-professed grudge-holder extraordinaire and crime novel author. She is joined regularly by a psychotherapist, an emotional freedom therapist, and a poet.

It almost sounded like a joke.

Yet there I was, mile after mile during my walks, learning “the power of grudges to transform life for the better and make the world a more peaceful and compassionate place.”

No longer was a grudge simply a ‘feeling of anger or hate toward another person that you hold on to against another person for something bad they did, or you think they did to you,” as the Urban Dictionary describes. Even the Cambridge Dictionary entry for a grudge — “a strong feeling of anger and dislike for a person who you feel has treated you badly, especially one that lasts for a long time” — lost its hold on me when held up against Sophie’s definition.

How much better might our life be if we, too, believed, “A grudge is not a feeling. A grudge is a story. It can also be a symbolic justice object, a protective device, a source of inspiration, a prompt for laughter, a lucky charm of sorts, a stepping stone that points you in the right life direction  –  but it is never a feeling.”

I used to hold on to grudges. OK, maybe I still nurture a couple.

But listening to this podcast helped me begin the process of remolding my useless blobs of resentment into handy little mementos that helped me be a better, more content person. After considering all the information I gathered and absorbed, I now see that carrying around negative feelings isn’t necessary.

They can simply be stories.

Better yet, the stories can be humorous and helpful.

Grudges can become building blocks in relationships. As a matter of fact, many grudges could be avoided if we, the grudge-holders, made different choices in the heat of the moment.

For instance, you might harbor ill feelings if a friend spontaneously bumps into another friend and goes out to dinner. You may feel slighted and left out, even though this was a chance, unplanned night out.

Instead of resting in the pool of self-pity, you could confront them privately and explain the hurt, rather than letting the grudge form and fester. Once you’ve shared your feelings, your relationship can grow.

This unexpected podcast didn’t scold me for holding grudges. Instead, it reframed them in a positive light, turning them into catalysts for personal growth.

Try it. Reclassify your grudges. Think of them as vehicles to remember experiences and avoid repeating slips.

Grudges aren’t just negative feelings. They’re stories we tell ourselves. And stories can be rewritten.

A dictionary might define them one way, but a woman on a podcast I stumbled upon has another perspective, and I choose to apply the more peace-producing definition.

Listening to her episodes, I found my definition of grudges bending and evolving. Suddenly, my grudges weren’t destructive impulses. They were forces of growth. A change in my paradigm has improved my outlook and strengthened my friendships.

Relationships are too precious to crumble over petty circumstances.

So, the next time you find yourself holding onto a grudge, try telling yourself the story with a touch of humor and have an honest conversation with your friend. It is difficult at first, but so worth the effort.

After all, when we share our grudge tales, it’s not about bitterness. It’s about turning a negative into a positive.

Lesslee Dort is a board-certified patient advocate who firmly believes knowledge is power when it comes to being in control of one’s health. She spends her days at Friends Together helping others navigate their health care. Reach Lesslee via email at regardingthejourney@lesslee.com. Read her here the third Thursday of each month.