"I forgive you. Because if I don't, it ain't keeping you up at night, it's keeping me up at night." -- Elaine Johnson
We've all been wronged by someone else. We've all been hurt, misled, or conned. And the people responsible for doing these things to us have earned a special place on our naughty list. But holding on to anger does no good.
If the people who harmed us find out we're still angry at them, it doesn't change things, and it doesn't make the anger go away. But if the people who harmed us discover they have been forgiven, well that's a whole new ball game.
When we forgive someone, we get to move on. We take back the power that other person has held over us through the wrong they've done to us. That power dynamic is felt by both parties. The victim feels powerless and the perpetrator feels powerful. Forgiveness resets things and puts everyone back on equal footing.
I encourage all of us to think about the people on our current naughty list. Who are we still pissed at? Who do we still want to punch in the face? Who gets our blood boiling when we hear their name? Whether we actually tell them or not, let's forgive them today. Because our anger isn't keeping them up at night. Our anger is keeping us up at night.
Make it a great day!