Well, here it is Wednesday again, and time for that little bit of optimism and inspiration that I hope brings some joy and peace to your day.
This week I’ve had the opportunity to give some thought to the concept of forgiveness. What does it mean to really forgive, and why is that important? What value does anger bring to us as humans and why do we find it so difficult sometimes to let it go?
I’ve come to realize in the end that the best gift we can give to ourselves if we’ve been wronged is to forgive. Holding on to anger may feel safer, but in the end the liberation that forgiveness brings frees us from that fear. But although it seems so straightforward to say “I forgive you”, it is a much more difficult thing to really do, inside, down deep in your heart of hearts.
Here is a great quote about forgiveness by personal growth pioneer Dale Carnegie:
Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving.
— Dale Carnegie
So if you have a burden of anger on your soul, exercise that strength of character from within and offer true forgiveness. You’re the one who will truly benefit from it.