Well it turns out that there are some good reasons to practise forgiveness. Holding on to emotions like anger and bitterness simply aren't going to make you happy. You might find some sense of satisfaction in holding a grudge, perhaps a feeling that you are punishing the other person with your hatred or anger. But the truth is the person who has upset you is not affected by your thoughts and emotions, but you are!
In reality the only person that you are actually punishing is yourself. There is no peace or joy to be found in holding a grudge; and remaining angry only causes unnecessary stress in your life. When you finally let go of the negative feelings of anger and bitterness you will open yourself up to receive more love and happiness into your life. You will free yourself from the burden of carrying the heavy load of resentment.
You may be thinking that it's just not that easy to let go or that it's the other persons fault that you feel way you do. But trust me on this one, we choose what we think, therefore we choose our emotions. Forgiveness is a choice. We can choose to let go of the anger, and we can choose to change the way we think about someone else. We have the power to choose how we feel, so why not choose to feel good?
Forgiveness doesn't mean that you have to forget the past, it means that you choose not to let the past affect how you feel in the present. It also doesn't mean you have to become best friends with your enemy; it may be in your best interest to keep your distance. What's important is letting go of the feelings of anger and resentment.
If forgiveness is a new concept for you, you might want to start small. Try forgiving someone who's done something minor to upset you and see how good it actually feels. The more you practice forgiveness the easier it will become. So try forgiving someone today, and give yourself the gift of freedom!
