THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS

Most of us have been hurt a number of times in life by people who are careless, thoughtless or deliberately cruel. The hurt could be expressed in myriads form- a parent’s abuse, a friend’s disloyalty, a spouse’s infidelity, a relative’s acid tongue, or an acquaintance’s tactless words.
The hurt could last for a lifetime, especially if it cuts deep into our ego. The hurt remains an indelible stain on the fabric of our memory. But is it worth it to harbor a grudge in our heart for a pain we didn’t deserve? Psychologist point out that carrying a burden of hatred in our hearts does more harm than good. In fact, studies show that the root cause of physical ailments like high blood pressure, ulcer, migraine headaches, insomnia and other diseases is suppressed anger or unventilated ill-feelings. 
Rage that is constrained or fueled for retaliation, or aiming to get even with the person who has hurt you can, cripple you emotionally. It can consume your energy and zap your high spirits in the midst of a sunny day. It’s like traversing the emotional spectrum from unfettered joy to the abyss of abject despair.
“The only way to heal the pain,” says Lewis Smeder in his book Forgive and Forget “is to forgive the person who has hurt you. Forgiving stop the virus of pain. It heals you. When you release the wrong doer from the wrong you cut a malignant tumor out of your life. You set a prisoner free. Only to discover later that the real prisoner is yourself.”
If the pain still hurts or assuaging it takes time, why not reflect on this food for thought:
Count your blessing instead of your crosses, Count your gains and not your losses, Count your joys instead of your woes, And count your friends not your foes, Count your best years instead of your lean, Count your good deeds and not your mean, Count your courage and not your fears, Count of your laughs instead of your wealth, Count on your health instead of your wealth Count on God and not on yourself.