Earlier this month, we shared Sarah Montana’s TEDx Talk: The Real Risk of Forgiveness – and Why It’s Worth It which is a powerful message in which Montana talks about coming to forgiveness for the murderer of her mother and brother. Today we share a Soul Pancake video, The Power of Forgiveness, that explores the personal benefits of forgiveness because as we have learned, forgiveness is not about the other person.
As this video shares “forgives doesn’t mean excusing or forgetting what happened. Forgiveness is something you do for yourself to lower your psychological distress by getting rid of those negative emotions.” Forgiveness is a gift then that you can give yourself.
In the forgiveness section of Onward’s Chapter 8: Cultivate Compassion, Elena Aguilar shares that Forgiving is something you do for yourself – not for the person who has wronged you. The Buddha said, “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned.” Research confirms that people who forgive are less likely to be depressed or anxious and more likely to be happier, healthier, calmer, and more empathetic (Lyubomisrsky, 2007). Forgiveness is about taking care of yourself.