virgin islands scene

The philosophy of one century is the common sense of the next.
-- Henry Ward Beecher
 

 

Tuesday, October 31, 2000

Forgive and live free

Have you ever carried a grudge for a long time, and then finally let it go? What a sense of relief it can bring when you decide to forgive.

There is a cleansing and refreshing freedom which comes from forgiveness. When you’ve been hurt, does it make sense to perpetuate the hurt? No, of course not. No one would want to do that. And yet we are often so reluctant to forgive.

Forgiving someone does not mean you must trust them or allow them into a position where they can hurt you again. Forgiveness means simply moving on. Forgiveness does not have to make you any less vigilant or any more vulnerable. Forgiveness does not mean that what happened was acceptable. It means that you’ve chosen to no longer let it hold you back.

There is no real continuing benefit which comes from being a victim. Practice forgiveness and you’ll free your spirit to live positively each day, unburdened by the past mistakes of others.

— Ralph Marston

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Copyright ©2000 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All Rights Reserved. The Daily Motivator is provided for your personal, non-commercial use only. Other than personal sharing, please do not re-distribute without permission.