“Forgiveness is not an emotion, it’s a decision.” Randall Worley. I have written many long articles about forgiveness as I have studied it for years because I wanted to understand how my lack of willingness to forgive, let go or move on might impact my emotions, health, or just life in general. So in a few words, I’ll summarize an entire chapter in one of my books. The purpose of forgiveness is not to let the other person off the hook for their actions or behavior but to let go of how the lack of forgiveness can have on your behavior, actions, decisions, and even beliefs. When you can’t forgive someone for anything you are indirectly giving them control over some element of your thinking, emotions, or even your life. So, someone has wronged you in some way and they deserve your scorn, spike, anger, or whatever. I’ve been there and what it took some uncomfortable introspection was that every time I thought about their action, again and again, I gave them control over me and I was giving it to someone I didn’t like or respect . . . Duh . . . stupid? Forgiveness is more about letting go of something in your mind than in someone else’s. Can you forgive your parents who have passed away for any actions they did while they were alive? Yes. It’s not about them, it’s about you. This doesn’t mean that you forget what others did, just that you will no longer let it control you.
“It’s not the life that matters, but the courage you bring to it.” Yogi Bhajan. The amount of courage we bring to a challenge in life can vary due to a variety of issues for example. If you are being chased in the wilderness by a bear that might be a bit different than asking someone to marry you or even go on a date with you. Then, of course, there are everyday things like; starting a new job, trying a new restaurant, or just taking a vacation to a new country or place you have never been. What exactly is courage anyway? Is it blind faith? Wild risk-taking? Fearlessness? Or something less obvious? It takes courage to start a new job. It takes courage to buy something new that can have an impact on your lifestyle. It takes courage to write a book or even sometimes share your thoughts or opinions with others when you think they might not like them. Courage comes in all sizes, colors, designs, details, and more than I can list here. The question is – when you need the courage for something in front of you – do you have it? Can you find it? Or, do you give in to what’s easy, comfortable, known, or is in your comfort zone?