Let's face it: Everyone has been hurt before. We have all been betrayed by a person that we trusted. We have all been let down by loved ones. We have all been blindsided. We have all been made to feel like a fool for being "the last to know."

These realities, while unfortunate, are a part of life that cannot be avoided. In my short 19 years of life, I have experienced all of the above on multiple occasions. And while said experiences were certainly unpleasant, they helped me to learn a lot about myself and to grow as a person.

When I was younger, I often felt inclined to seek revenge against the people who hurt me. If someone betrayed my trust, I wanted to make them feel the same pain or humiliation that I felt. I thought that in order to seek justice and move forward, I needed to "get even."

With time, however, I began to realize that the act of revenge did not actually make me feel better. Yes, "getting even" with someone may feel good for a moment, but in the long run, it does not bring about any resolution. Moreover, I noticed that revenge did not bring me closure or make me feel better about myself. In fact, seeking revenge often left me with either a guilty conscience or an even bigger "mess" to clean up than I faced before.

Since realizing that revenge is not, in fact, an effective coping mechanism, I found myself pondering one nagging question:

How can I move on from being hurt in a way that makes me feel better about myself?

For years, I let this question sit in the back of my mind, but could never seem to answer it for myself. It was not until recently that I finally found the answer that I was looking for.

In recent months, I faced betrayal from people that I never thought would hurt me. Feeling shocked and confused, I initially did not know how to react. One day, however, I encountered a quote while flipping through the pages of a magazine that changed my entire perspective:

"Weak people seek revenge. Strong people forgive. Intelligent people ignore."

It was in that moment that I came to understand that art of "taking the high road."

But what does this mean?

Why is taking the harder path the best option?

When dealing with the aftermath of betrayal, letting go of anger and choosing to forgive are not actions taken for the sake of other people, but for the sake of oneself. Closure is needed to move on from being hurt, and true closure comes from letting go of past events and any associated "hard feelings." Life is way too short to waste time plotting revenge, feeling angry, or holding on to negativity.

So yes, taking the high road is never the easiest path to take, but it can also be extremely empowering. There is a certain sense of pride and accomplishment that stems from being the bigger person. Consequently, taking the high road often results in gained respect from other people as well as improved self-confidence. Moreover, the decision to avoid conflict enables you to move on with your life and take care of yourself.

So, to anyone who has been hurt by others in the past or will be hurt in the future, I challenge you to remember this small nugget of wisdom:

Being strong does not always entail getting into a fight to stand up for yourself. True strength is being able to walk away from other people's nonsensical behavior with your head held high.