Does Forgiveness Help You Or Them? "Forgiveness is a funny thing; it warms the heart and cools the sting." I know we all have read a million articles on forgiveness and have heard a thousand speeches on the same. But none the less, it is very difficult to practice. Forgiveness doesn't come easily to most of us. Every time someone hurts us, we are left with a feeling of hurt, anger and vengeance. We find it very difficult to let go of the hurt someone has caused us. But forgiveness isn't forgetting, it's just letting go of the hurt. It's not something you bestow on others, but a gift you give yourself. The hurt and pain someone has caused you may always be a part of your life, but forgiveness will help loosen its grip on you so that you can move on. And as for whom to forgive, start with a friend who has hurt you badly, and the stranger who stepped on your toe in a bus, and then those in between these two extremes. Forgiving yourself is also important. And forgive quickly because the more time you take, the more you think about it, you may never be ready to do it. So do it as soon as possible because even though it may not change the past, it will definitely change the future. And remember: "Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die." --- Copyright © 2012 Priya AgarwaL