Let it go! Just drop it! Forgive and forget!

Have you ever declared these well-intentioned statements to a friend who was griping on and on about someone who wronged them years ago?

Or maybe it was you who received the same advice from a caring friend after holding onto bitterness for far too long.

Letting things go and forgiving others is easier said than done. In fact, it can be downright challenging.

However, it is something that makes life better for everyone involved.

Since the beginning of time, many wise people – from prophets to poets to acclaimed authors – have touted forgiveness as essential in life. For its own sake, and for the beauty it bestows upon us, and others.

Nearly all religions not only value the virtue of forgiveness, but also view it as a path to inner peace.

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned,” is a popular quote attributed to Buddha.

And in the Bible, Peter asks Jesus “how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus responds, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21-22)

One time is hard enough, let alone seventy-seven times! As self-destructive as it is to hold onto anger – it can literally tear us up inside – for most of us, simply letting go and forgiving someone isn’t easy.

Further, when we are lost in rumination about a hurtful incident and harboring resentment long after someone harmed us, we likely aren’t thinking about any goodness that can possibly come out of forgiving others. Instead, we may be preoccupied with revenge.

Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on........

© Psychology Today