As we grow older, we continue to frequently learn new life lessons. Our minds mature, and with age comes experience, and with experience becomes us building mental strength. One of the hardest things I have learned this year (you know, now that I’m 21 and all) is that sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same. With that, I am talking about forgiveness.
Everyone does it, we all hold grudges at some point in our lives. You’re in grade school and you hold a grudge on your friend for canceling plans. You’re suddenly in college, and you’re holding a grudge on someone for talking to a boy you liked. You’re an adult, and you’re holding a grudge on someone at your work for taking credit for something you did.
I haven’t mastered it completely yet, but I am working on forgiving people, even if I believe they don’t deserve it. Life is built on making mistakes. Without mistakes, we would be immortal, as mistakes is what makes us, well, humans. I know it is hard, you’re probably thinking “they don’t deserve forgiveness” or “they haven’t even apologized to me yet.” But, when you really think about it, by holding a grudge you are really just hurting yourself.
When you chose not to forgive, you give your brain a constant thought. You fill your thoughts with negative energy and anger. Even if you have a particular dislike for this person, by holding resentment, all you are doing is holding an emotional attachment to that person. If you disliked them and didn’t care for them in your life, why would you even want an emotional attachment in the first place to them? Set them free. Set yourself free. Life is too short to be wasting your time holding resentment towards people who make mistakes, just like you.
Holding on to anger can make you weak. For all this anger you are holding on to, you are losing precious time, thoughts and positive energy to invest towards something else. Something else that is more beneficial for you as a person, and for the world as a whole. You’re right, what is in the past, is always going to be in the past. You can’t change that. But, what you can change, is the beauty of your future.
Martin Luther King Jr. once said “forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude,” It doesn’t mean that you’re letting someone off the hook when they don’t deserve it, and that you should just ignore every one’s actions. When you forgive, you are not doing it for them, you are doing it for yourself. Do yourself a favor, free yourself. Allow yourself to live with as much positive energy as possible, because in this life, all you really want is happiness. And forgiveness is the first step to get there.
