My dear friends, I have often said that forgiveness is not just a virtue but medicine for the soul and balm for the body. In our journey through life, we encounter hurt, disappointment, and betrayal. The question is not whether we will face such challenges, but how we choose to respond to them.
Today, I wish to share with you a profound truth that modern medicine is beginning to understand: the act of forgiveness has the power to heal not just our relationships, but our very bodies. When we hold onto anger and resentment, we poison ourselves. When we choose to forgive, we set ourselves free, and in that freedom, healing begins.
Let me tell you some stories that will illuminate this beautiful truth…
The Secret to Positive Living Through Forgiveness
In a moving piece titled “Forgive, Forget and Live,” Norman Vincent Peale tells us about a remarkable man who discovered the secret to positive living. This man had embraced St. Paul’s profound words as his life’s guiding principle: “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God…”
The Medical Connection: How Resentment Makes You Sick
When we hold onto unforgiving thoughts and nurse old wounds, we invite illness into our lives. Research conducted in New York showed that seven out of ten patients seeking medical help carried some form of bitterness in their hearts. After studying their medical records, a respected doctor observed: “Bitter feelings and old grudges frequently make people ill. The medicine of forgiveness often works better than many prescriptions.”
There exists a dreadful condition we might call ‘grudgitis,’ a sickness that can even prove fatal when someone harbors deep hatred for years. The lesson is clear: forgiveness is not merely the moral choice, it is also the path to wellness!
Why Inner Peace Requires Forgiveness
Our conscience will never grant us true peace when it remains burdened, and it stays troubled until we release the anger and bitterness that prevents us from forgiving.
As George Shinn wisely notes: “What we give out comes back to us. When we give hatred, hatred returns; when we give love, love flows back to us!”
To find inner peace, there is only one way. We must free ourselves from anger and resentment, learn to release hatred, and embrace the practice of forgiveness.
The Devastating Effects of Holding Grudges on Mental Health
Mental health professionals tell us that people who refuse to forgive often see their lives take a dramatic turn for the worse. They become bitter and drown in self-pity. Some grow passive, tired, and lose interest in life. They avoid positive, supportive people and trap themselves in loneliness and isolation. Sadly, some turn to alcohol for comfort. Others find temporary relief in smoking. This begins their downward journey.
The reality is this that when you cannot forgive and move on, you suffer physically and emotionally. What form this suffering takes is unpredictable.
Real-Life Stories: When Unforgiveness Becomes Physical Disease
I know of a divorced woman who struggled to forgive her former husband. She developed a cancerous tumor that required surgery. She firmly believed that her emotional pain and resentment had played a role in her illness.
A Christian minister who had always enjoyed good health suddenly fell seriously ill and was hospitalized. Doctors discovered two large, infected growths causing him intense pain. Emergency surgery was needed to remove them. The minister was certain these growths resulted from the grudge and bitterness he carried toward two men he couldn’t forgive. There seemed no other explanation!
While surgery removed the physical growths, he became determined to remove the ‘growths’ of hatred from his spirit. He chose to cultivate love and forgiveness toward those he had resented for so long.
Related » Why You Should Let go of Your Resentments and Embrace Forgiveness
How Anger Accelerates Aging and Controls Your Life
Medical professionals tell us that anger speeds up the aging process. Anger is a natural human response, and it remains healthy when we don’t let it linger and when it doesn’t harm others. But when we allow anger to settle in our hearts, it loses its natural quality and festers into a grudge. When we refuse to forgive others, we let our grudges take control of our lives.
A Revolutionary Cancer Treatment: The Power of Forgiveness and Love
I once read about a cancer specialist in New York who was highly respected in his profession. He begins treating every new patient with two unique sessions. The first he calls the Hour of Forgiveness. The second is the Hour of Love.
This physician believes that emotions play a crucial role in both causing and healing cancer. He therefore brings together all the patient’s close family members for these sessions. During the first session, the Hour of Forgiveness, each person speaks openly about any hurt or grievance involving the patient. Once these wounds are exposed, everyone is asked to forgive the patient completely and openly.
In the second session, the Hour of Love, all participants express their love and goodwill toward each other, especially the patient. The doctor is convinced that this beautiful process, forgiveness followed by love, creates the ideal environment for healing to take place!
Also read » The Let It Go Box: A Sacred Space for Your Healing
Conclusion: Your Choice for Health and Happiness
My dear friends, the message is clear: forgiveness is not a sign of weakness, but of wisdom. It is not something we do for others but a gift we give ourselves. When we choose to forgive, we choose health over sickness, peace over turmoil, and love over hatred.
The stories I have shared show us that our emotions have real power over our physical wellbeing. Medical science now confirms what spiritual wisdom has always taught: a heart filled with love heals faster than one poisoned by bitterness.
Today, I urge you to examine your own heart. Is there someone you need to forgive? Some old wound that needs healing? Remember, you do not forgive because the other person deserves it. You forgive because you deserve peace.
Take this step today. Release that burden you have been carrying. Choose forgiveness, choose healing, choose life. Your body, mind, and spirit will thank you for it. And in that act of letting go, you will discover what true freedom feels like.
As I always say: forgive, forget, and let love fill the space that hatred once occupied. This is the path to wholeness, this is the way to healing, this is the secret to a life well-lived.
Also read » Inspiring articles by Dada Vaswani
Editor’s Note: Observe the Moment of Calm on August 2nd
On August 2nd, as we celebrate Dada’s 107th birthday, millions around the world will unite in a sacred moment of forgiveness. Though Dada moved on from his material existence in July 2018, his gentle teachings continue to touch hearts and transform lives across the globe.
This year, on Global Forgiveness Day, I invite you to be part of this beautiful and powerful movement. At 2 PM (your local time) on August 2nd, wherever you are, pause for just two minutes. In those precious moments, open your heart to forgiveness. Think of someone you need to forgive, or someone from whom you seek forgiveness. Let it all go and let love replace any lingering bitterness.
These two minutes can change your life. When people around the world join together in forgiveness, we create waves of healing that touch every corner of our planet. Dada believed that such collective moments of love and compassion have the power to heal not just individuals, but humanity itself.
Will you join us? Set aside just 2 minutes on August 2nd at 2 PM. Let this be your gift to yourself, to those you love, and to the world.
(This article was edited by Manoj Khatri)
Spot an error in this article? A typo maybe? Or an incorrect source? Let us know!
Thank You Dada for guiding us to “Forgive, Forget and Love to live a Healthy & Happy Life.
Thank You Dada for guiding us to “Forgive, Forget and Love to live a Healthy & Happy Life.