We all have a dark corner in our heart and soul that holds the unforgiving part of ourselves. The smell of that dark corner spreads into all the rooms of your mental well-being; emotionally, and physically. Forgiveness is infectious, such as your neighbor cleaning the house when you work on your yard, garden, and home. You are cleaning your own house for yourself so you can live more comfortably, not for your neighbor, but love flows through to other people if you open your windows. That is why forgiving yourself makes you feel good and makes others smile.
Ding’s View on Forgiveness
I agree that forgiveness is for my own sake more than anybody else’s, regardless of my intentions. Based on my experience, hate is a toxic emotion that eats me up from the inside out. I hated my high school girlfriend for over twenty years because she left me for another man after dating me for a year. Her betrayal destroyed my life. I did not understand why I tortured myself with a girl who did not love me anymore. I always carried the hate and could not build new relationships with others. Finally, I moved on recently by forgiving her and praying for her happiness.
David’s View on Forgiveness
Yes, holding anger does nothing to other people but does everything to me. Forgiveness is to release hateful feelings and live without holding pain inside yourself. There are consequences for hurting another person mentally or physically. If the offender has not genuinely shown remorse or attempted to fix their mistake, they will continue to make the same mistake. I will forgive the offenders who are genuinely sorry for what they have done.
Lisa’s View on Forgiveness
Forgiveness has incredible power for the forgiver. You can not only forgive someone who is no longer alive but also someone in your current life circle. According to the law of cause-and-effect, even those I forgive now for their wrongdoing might eventually pay their price. A person who wrongs others never escapes punishment because there is a universal truth about karma. In my experience, hesitating to forgive makes me sick sometimes because I feel powerless when I hold resentment. I feel relief when I release my hateful feelings towards others.
Nancy’s View on Forgiveness
I was raped by my math teacher when I was 16. I could not report him because he had naked photos of me. I hated him and all men for fifteen years until I met my husband during a retreat trip to Peru. The day before my wedding, I released my resentment and hateful feelings toward that teacher and men. I thank that bad event because I had those opportunities to explore life's meaning across three continents consciously. The event at that time was horrible because I almost killed the teacher and myself. Now, I can see things from different angles by focusing on what I have learned from the past rather than holding anger continually.
Bobby’s View on Forgiveness
I hate my mom for no reason. My mother gave me all I needed since I can remember, but I didn’t feel close to her. My mom achieved a lot in her life, but she did not make me feel happy. She loves me so much in her own way, but it’s not how I expected it. I always hesitate to share my worries or issues with her because I want her to be proud of me. I don’t resonate with my mother's love, even though she did everything she could to support me until I was old enough to become independent. Maybe I resent her spending more time on her work than with me. I tried to forgive her, but I couldn’t figure out what she had done wrong as a mother. That is a dilemma I have had for the whole of my life. I don’t want to upset her, but I am afraid of talking to her sometimes. I am not confident enough to be her son.
To Be Continued.