Be Kind, Be Forgiving, and Watch Your Life Change for the Better

Written By: Shannon Griffith

Have you ever preached about not being happy, wanting the world to be a better place or even preached to others about just being happy? Read this article to see how forgiveness/being kind is the most essential/crucial step in making yourself happier in order to be more successful, feel more powerful/free, and more productive in your life. In turn, helping yourself be more mature/kind to everyone else around you and how you can help make a positive influence and help change the world to a better environment for everyone and especially for our future generations… kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, etc. As parents, you usually want better for your kids, right? Let us start here! Be better role models, teach, do not belittle. End your hate/anger with yourself. “As long as you are given another day to live, it is never too late, and you are never too old to make a positive change in your life for yourself and those around you!” “Make each day count.” (Jack Dawson, Original Titanic Movie).

Did you know that being “forgiving,” forgiving yourself/others is the first step in being happier, more successful and make you feel more powerful? (Dr. VanderWeele, Harvard Health Publishing, 2021), stated, “Yet, when you learn to forgive, you are no longer trapped by the past actions of yourself or others and can finally feel free.” “You no longer wish bad things to happen to yourself or others.” Is one way to know you are learning to forgive yourself and others. Ways to forgive yourself/others include, but are not limited to…

• Taking responsibility for your own actions and not blaming others for their reactions

• Feel remorse: such as feeling bad, resentful, upset

• Make amends, apologize to those you have wronged, continue to prove your apology by standing by your apology, do not make same mistakes or other mistakes that might hurt them again, be consistent

• Learn from the experience to grow

• Try to understand other’s perspectives

• Set healthy boundaries

• Remember that forgiveness is for your own peace

• Not an endorsement for their actions

• Acknowledge/accept/be self-aware

• Practice self-compassion

• Recognize the value of forgiveness, not just for others, but yourself as well

• Acknowledge your emotions

• Empathize

• Choose to let it go… you have not completely let something go yet if you continue to not talk to those you have wronged in your life

Forgiving yourself/others also helps you become a better, more mature/kind person. Forgiveness helps you release negative emotions, fosters empathy, and promotes a more compassionate and peaceful mindset. When you let go of anger, hate, resentment and the desire for revenge, you free yourself from emotional burdens, which allows you to cultivate more positive feelings and extend compassion to yourself and others.

In conclusion, forgiveness is the biggest, most crucial step in becoming happier, liking yourself more and being more positive/confident without making yourself want to hurt yourself or others in the future. In turn, when you forgive yourself/others, it helps you be more positive and build more kindness and compassion in your hearts. A lot of people believe that having a nice car, house, money, an excellent job makes you a better person than the next, but that is absolutely not true! You could lose all of those things in 2 seconds… car accident, house fire (accidental/unexpected), tornadoes, hurricanes, Forrest fires, unexpected layoffs, unexpected job closures, home invasions, loss of family, assets frozen unexpectedly, payroll issues, etc.…

However, the way you treat yourself and others, you carry with you forever. Why do you think bullying, school shootings, public shootings or even wars happen? It is all because of anger/hate/resentment and naturally we all want a way to take our hurt/pain out on others, because we feel it would make us feel better. No, obviously it does not, and it is making the world tough for all of us to live in! Try forgiveness, work together to be better, and help this world be a better place! It starts within ourselves, the adults. We have the power to make the necessary change together. “Teamwork makes the dream work”! Football teams are good, because they work together as a team, work environments are successful, because they work together as a team to make it work, our favorite Bands to listen to are amazing, because they work together as a team… you get the point, right? As humans, (which is one thing we all forget we have in common), why can’t we work together? Learn forgiveness and start being kind to each other to help make this world a much better place for everyone to live in and enjoy!