To fully understand this quote by Lewis B. Smedes is to truly set ourselves free.
We have all been there. Knowingly or unknowingly people hurt us badly, let us down and make us feel miserable. We feel so hurt and angry that we begin to rejoice in holding onto that grudge. After all, we need to make that person accountable and responsible for their wrong doing. This person was so wrong and hurtful that they can never be forgiven. How dare someone suggest that we forgive; that we let go. I will still humbly request, who will you forgive today?
It all starts in our childhood and through out each stage of our life. We accumulate the number of people we love to hate for their wrong doings to us. This number keeps increasing like a prized collection. These people constantly show up in our thoughts, become part of our conversations and take over precious space in our hearts. We think we are getting even with them by holding the resentment. It’s our pay back.
The real truth of the matter is that the person you are hurting by holding onto the anger is none other than you, yourself. The bitterness, anger, anxiety and negativity caused by holding on to these thoughts are damaging your mind, body and soul. All these emotions will manifest in your life as high blood pressure, obesity, inflammation leading to all disease and ailments that effect human bodies. These negative thoughts and energies will also block your own growth, happiness and joy in life. They will hold you back and limit your full potential in life.
Have you ever seen a dark, cluttered room stuffed with remnants of old broken things from the past? It’s a space where all the fresh air, energy and light get blocked. It becomes stuffy, smelly, stale and unpleasant. There is no future potential for this room unless we took every little piece of old junk and threw it out, and opened the window to let new energy, light and freshness in. That is what we need to do with our heart space.
This spring lets clean house. Let us look into that corner of our heart and find every single person who resides there because they did you wrong. Let us choose to set them free. By setting them free, we are actually setting ourselves free. We are not doing them a favour. We are doing ourselves a favour. It is after all our room and we need to take care good care of it.
To prove my point I quote non-other than the rapper Royce da 5’9″, “A wise man told me that holdin’ a grudge is like letting‘ somebody just live inside of your head rent free ..”They say by holding a grudge against someone is like letting them live in our heart rent free”.
Let someone live in your heart and head rent free? In this modern era of expensive real estate that is a luxury we can not afford to give someone else. Let us free up our space for ourselves friends!!
Who will you forgive today?
With love,
Devinder 💖
2 Comments
Michelle
This is such a wonderful post on forgiveness. I have quite a few people I need to forgive, but it’s so hard to do because of all the years of pain they’ve caused. I no longer talk to these people so I know I’m only hurting myself. They don’t care and probably don’t even remember! Thank you for this post!!
Devinder Maan
You are so right Michelle. It’s not an easy thing to do but its something we all must do in order to free ourselves. Just the realize that we need to do this helps us forget and forgive I find. Of course, doing this while sitting in meditation is awesome practice. Thank you for the read and for your feedback.