There are times when people wrong us or harm us intentionally or unintentionally. Getting angry with them is the most natural reaction in such situations. Feelings of revenge may even pop up. But what about feelings of forgiveness? Have you stopped to think that all your reactions may hurt and harm yourself? Buddha said: “You are the first victim of your anger.” He also commented that holding onto anger is the same as grasping onto a hot coal, as you are the one who gets burned in the process. Forgiveness is a powerful tool that helps in overcoming anger and in healing. Here we will discuss just how powerful it is to forgive someone.
Forgive yourself first
Forgiveness will not eradicate your past. Instead, it gives you the opportunity to look upon it with compassion. By keeping the emotions of anger and hurt alive, you will ruin your mental peace, affecting your overall life. Holding on to pain will only aggravate your suffering and sorrow. With forgiveness, you will be able to heal the pain and the hurt.
Most people think that forgiveness is synonymous with forgetting, but they are vastly different. You must forgive, but at the same time, it is important not to forget the lesson that life taught in the process. Forgive yourself first irrespective of the role you played in the whole situation. Let go of the hatred that you have in your heart and see how light you start feeling.
Therapists all agree that it is pretty difficult to forgive someone for doing wrong or causing harm. But when considered from a greater perspective, forgiveness is essentially related to your emotional welfare. Granting the other person pardon is a secondary thing. With forgiveness, you can break the shackles of the past, thus freeing yourself to enjoy the present and progress toward the future.
Resentment and anger
People often carry anger and resentment with them as huge emotional baggage. But the moment they forgive the wrongdoer and themselves, they will experience an awesome feeling of self-love. Basically, in this universe, there are no accidents. It is your perceptions and preconceived notions that distort the truth.
When it comes to resentment and anger, you will feel that you are stuck in the past with those negative emotions. You will neither be able to live in the present moment nor be able to think about the future. Strangely, people all want to lead a happy life, but they are not willing to let go of their toxic emotions.
If you look from a spiritual perspective, your ego feeds off fear. You become convinced that you have been wronged. To keep this pain alive inside, you tend to hold on to the resentment and anger.
Transforming destructive emotions
Destructive emotions like hatred, anger, resentment, etc., stand as a hindrance to a happy and peaceful life. Masters of philosophy and even life experts are of the view that it is best if you respond to your past with compassion. Not holding onto bad experiences is the only way that you can achieve mental peace and a sense of joy.
According to Confucius: “The more you know yourself, the more you forgive yourself.” By choosing positive emotions, you look forward to a fulfilling life.
Have you ever considered the thought that feelings like resentment and anger are nothing but a desperate call for self-love? All of us crave to be appreciated and loved. Forgiveness is the bridge that takes you to your destination. When you forgive yourself and others, you raise your awareness level and heal yourself. The inner freedom that you experience is simply ethereal.
Try forgiving yourself and others and see how free you feel!
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