When someone else does something to hurt you in some way, it isn’t always easy to forgive them. However, if you’re harboring anger and resentment towards someone for their past actions, there are several good reasons why you should make the effort to forgive them.
1. Time Is Precious
Do you find that you spend a lot of time and energy focusing on the wrong that was done to you by another? Focusing your energy on past events is really a waste of time because there is no way of altering what has already occurred. When you forgive the person or people who did you an injustice, you free up the energy and time you wasted thinking about the negative memories. You can use that extra time and energy to be more productive in the present.
2. Feel Better and Succeed
Once you’ve forgiven someone, you’ll probably notice an improvement in your mental health. When you forgive others, you get rid of negativity in your life. Subsequently you enjoy life more and have fun. Negative emotions like anger and bitterness can also impede your ability to reach personal objectives. When you forgive others, it’s much easier to focus your attention on the present. Hence your chances of success in life are greatly increased.
3. Improved Physical Health
Thinking back on bad experiences and feeling angry about them is not good for your physical health because it stresses you out. Stress has been associated with numerous physical ailments including headaches, hypertension, heart disease and digestion issues. There is even evidence to suggest that stress can alter the shape of red blood cells and compromise the immune system. When you forgive someone for hurting you in the past, you eliminate negative memories and the stress associated with them. Hence you may notice that your general health improves once you’ve gone through the process of forgiveness.
4. More Popular
When you harbor anger and bitterness in your heart, you aren’t much fun for other people to be around. If you doubt the truth of this, ask yourself how you feel when in the company of someone who is more negative than positive. When you forgive people for the things they did to you, emotions like anger and resentment are replaced by joy and cheerfulness. This will not only make you more pleasant to be around, it will also attract better people to you. When you feel positive you may also notice that it’s easier to remain even tempered and laugh at life instead of taking things too seriously. It will also make you less inclined to feel offended by the words or actions of other people.
5. No More Pain
When someone else wrongs you, the blame lies with them. However, the guilty party will not suffer if you refuse to forgive them. When you cannot or will not forgive someone for what they did, you are the one who suffers emotional pain. Since you aren’t to blame for what happened, why do you carry the pain and continue to suffer? Suffering emotional pain over someone else’s unkind actions is irrational. The only way to break free from the pain is to forgive and leave bad memories in the past where they belong.
6. Forgive Yourself
Forgiveness needn’t be about other people. You might be having difficulty forgiving yourself for past misdeeds or harsh words you’ve spoken. Since you cannot change what you did or said, feeling remorse over it is futile. What’s more, guilt is just as self-destructive as rage or hostility. If you wish to be happy, you must find a way of accepting what you did or said. Once you forgive yourself and accept what happened, you’ll be able to move your life in a more positive direction.
Definitely make these efforts and live your live in full! What are you reasons to forgive?
