Let It Go: 7 Positive Things You Can Gain From Forgiving Someone

Rage filled my entire body; I felt it blinding my eyes and curling my toes. My trust was shattered, and all of my faith in loyalty vanished.

My best friend was making out with my sister's boyfriend, right in front of my own eyes.

My head was spinning with vengeance, and it felt natural to wish the worst upon both of their futures.

At some point, whether your sister forgot your birthday, your neighbor stole your cash or your best friend slept with your boyfriend, we've all felt the pain of a broken unwritten promise.

No matter how dirty the crime was, playing the victim card does not make you a better person. How you handle the lurching feeling of resentment in your stomach is what really allows your sense of character to shine through.

You can choose to hold a grudge and let hate bubble within your body and poison your mind, or you can learn how to forgive. There is no vivid correct answer to each circumstance, but only powerful people can gracefully overcome emotionally draining situations with forgiveness.

As Mahatma Gandhi once said, "The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."

Only the strong are able to handle a distressing, emotionally draining situation with grace. Forgivers tend to have some insights that allow their minds to overcome the wrongdoings of someone they had high respect for.

Here are seven things we can learn from people who have mastered the art of forgiveness:

Be realistic.

Remember that nobody is perfect, and there aren't just good and bad people who are as simple as black and white. People make mistakes, learn from them and evolve throughout his or her lifetime.

Courage.

It takes pure bravery to reopen your heart to somebody who has disobeyed your trust, firmly believe that the future is bright and to be unafraid of the possibility of your heart breaking again.

See the best in people.

Nobody is purely evil -- even the grinch has a soft spot. Look for the positive aspects in someone who has wronged you. They have got to have something good going for them.

Be compassionate.

Even if a forgiver does not agree with the intentions of someone, he or she is able to open his or her mind and comprehend others' motives. Putting yourself in someone else's shoes makes it a lot easier to give up all feelings of resentment.

It's your choice.

And it is your heart. It is important to take care of yourself as your life tends to sway in the direction of your thoughts. Do you want a negative mind to lead you to a miserable life?

There are more things in life that can make you happy.

Mend your heart by doing your favorite hobbies. Go for a hike or play with your puppy to get your mind off of the way you were unfairly treated. Allow yourself to take a step back and realize that the world is still spinning around.

Don't let somebody else's misjudgment change your attitude on the bounties of life.

Let it go.

Don't hold on to the past; if something bad happened, let it be. There is nothing you can do to change it. Release unnecessary baggage of negative feelings because by holding on to them, you're only burdening yourself.

Sh*t happens, and life goes on.

Photo Courtesy: We Heart It