Forgiveness

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. The world is bursting with intolerance. Intolerance and short temper are perhaps the most widely spread problems in the world today. Everyone wants to hold his/her own country, society, values, culture, race and religion as being superior to others. Everything in life has become a race. Competition is surging in every field of work. Students face tougher exams every year. Expectations can pile up mighty quickly and unfulfilled dreams can lead to discontentment, impatience and intolerance. Discontentment certainly leads to arrogance and conceited behavior. Nobody wants to be considerate, compassionate and kind-qualities certainly but surely on the wane. It is not surprising to be not able to find a good listener. You will often hear people tell you, “Mind your own business”. Egoistic attitudes hardly leave room for listening to others and have a sympathetic disposition.

Bouts of anger are now common at home, the workplace, and in our social circle. Often siblings are at loggerheads; a wife is not ready to tolerate her husband and vice versa; relations between parents and children have been turning malevolent, even friends are ready to ditch each other; giving in to belligerence and malignance. Apathetic and listless attitudes have become common in everyday life. People can hardly find time to empathize with the concerns of others. “How does it concern me” has become a frequent one-liner.

Forgiveness is the act of untying yourself from thoughts and feelings that bind you to the offense committed against you. Forgiveness can even lead to feelings of understanding, empathy, and compassion for the one who hurt you. What does keeping a grudge against somebody accomplish? Anger may seem to compensate for the powerlessness we experienced when we were hurt. While arrogance and injustice shouldn’t be allowed a free hand, forgiving at least in your own mind is an entirely different concept. Two wrongs don’t make a right; therefore, if a wrong has been committed, forgiveness is the only solution. Forgiveness prevents harmful thoughts from causing havoc on one’s mental well-being.

Tolerance is the key to maintaining peace in the world. In today’s hectic times anyone can hurt us anytime-and that too without any rhyme or reason or fault of ours! But what is to be done when we have to face the intolerant? Actually the best way to feel better is to say, “I forgive you”. It is the most powerful thing we will ever do. Forgiving doesn’t mean giving in. It means to let go.

A wise person knows the value of forgiveness. He weighs every word before he utters it. Time is too precious to be wasted in unnecessary pain. Anger makes a person insensible and inimical towards others. Intolerance and anger obliterate your powers to reason; one should never decide anything in a rage. There are imperfections in every human being, and you will become unhappy if you look toward the people themselves. But if you look towards God, you will love them and be kind to them. Therefore, don’t look at the shortcomings of anybody; see with the sight of forgiveness. Forgiving instills a greater sense of power. By forgiving we reclaim our power to choose.