I could not find a better title for today's post than Nelson Mandela's quote on the power of forgiveness. Many people think that forgiveness is about the person you're forgiving. But it is actually all about YOU. When you do not forgive, you are giving the person that hurt you the opportunity to hurt you again and again and again every time you think about them or what they did. What a waste of your time, energy and focus!
Why should you give the person that hurt you this power over you? Why give anyone, for that matter, the power to take up your precious time and energy in order to hurt you all over again? Believe me, the person who is giving that power is you yourself. Can you see now the power of forgiving and forgetting? It releases you from the "mental torture" of repeated hurt. I believe that this is what Buddhists and Hindu's refer to as "rebirth". It is not necessarily the rebirth of your physical self but rather the rebirth of hurtful thoughts and behavioral patterns. Once you forgive and forget, you are in essence free from the "rebirth" of mental hurt and torture. You can then dedicate the necessary energy to overcoming the situation and moving forward in your life's journey.
And if it gives you any comfort, I'll share with you what I tell myself these days when someone does hurt me. I tell myself, "What goes around, comes around." I found this to be 100% true in my life. As the saying goes, "What you sow is what you reap". So whoever who did hurt you (with a bad intention) will pay their dues. Trust in God, the universe or however you define the Supreme, and let it take care of them. Believe me, everyone pays their dues for their actions, including you. So save your thoughts and energy for something better than anger, resentment or unforgiveness, it is completely unproductive for you! And trust me, you will see the benefits. In the end, I believe that one may lose possessions, money, and even time, but one cannot lose oneself.
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