3 years ago
2
ARTICLE AD BOX
There’s a local politician that I hated with passion for almost 20 years after he berated me in front of the community for writing unfavourably about him and his political party in the local weekly tabloid.
Although I wouldn’t accept it, it ate at the core of my being. There’s not one of us who can boldly say they’re on speaking terms with all and sundry. SA’s greatest motivator, Mike Lipkin, put it bluntly when he said that, "If you are angry with someone over anything for too long, you allow them to rent space free in your head."
Because every time you see them across the street or anywhere, you then have sulky moods. A lot of us would rather die than forgive those we don’t like. A sad but painful truth was spoken by Mahatma Gandhi when he said that forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is a difficult process. It is not something that can happen overnight, but is an evolution of the heart. If you keep on saying that you will forgive someone over your dead body, chances are big that you will take your problems with you to your grave.
By holding on to resentment and anger, you make a hurtful experience of a decade ago seem like yesterday’s. If we want to shed the weight of the past and lead stress-free lives, then we must offload all the envy, bitterness, resentment and fear that hold us captive.
Living an unforgiving life slows you down and makes you lose your momentum. Above all else, it eats at your peace of mind. forgiving doesn’t mean you erase the past or forget about the experience or what happened to you; but it means you let go of pain and sulking.
The less time you spend on those who hate you, the more you get to spend on those who love you because love comes from an act of endless forgiveness. It is so painful to see even siblings who aren’t on speaking terms. If you forgive your enemies, nothing annoys them so much. Forgiveness cleanses the soul and sets you free!
Samuel Radebe, Heilbron, Free State
English (US)