30 Sep The power of forgiveness

The power of forgiveness 

I remember hearing Nelson Mandela’s words when they asked him when he was freed from prison if he hated those that put him there.

He said “As I walked out the door to freedom I knew that if I didn’t leave all the anger, the hatred and the bitterness behind, I’d still be in prison”

So many people are living in their own prisons, prisons that have kept them locked up for years. I know first hand how that can affect people as my grandmother and my ex mother in law lived and still live in those prisons for most of their lives. Hating, and being bitter and angry about what life had handed them. About being hurt by a man and yet even though 40 years had gone by they still couldn’t let go of it. I believe it manifests into health problems as well, the hatred starts eating you up inside, you making yourself sick. 

I swore I would never be like that. I would forgive not for them but for me. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in my lifetime is forgiveness. I remember one day while I was driving my Mustang GT with the TTops off. The music was blasting and I was feeling myself that day. It was the perfect day and I was in a great mood, loving life. When all of a sudden I see my rapist coming out of a store with a woman, just laughing and enjoying his day. In that split second I went from what a wonderful day to complete anger. I wanted to run up on the curb and run him over! Sorry no sugar coating it here that is what I wanted to do and it took all I had inside of me not to do it.

But I realized at that moment he wasn’t thinking about me or what he had done to me, he was living his life and the only person this was affecting was me. All of this anger, this bitterness that I carried for him, I realized that he could care less, it didn’t affect him at all but it obviously was affecting me.

At that moment I knew I had to forgive him, not for his actions but for me. To let it go, to let go of the hatred, and the anger that was ruling my life. What he did is between him and God, him and karma, not me. I refused to let him have control over me one more day, one more minute, one more second. 

I was doing this to free myself from my own self induced prison.

Later in life I realized that I had to forgive my ex husband as well. One of the hardest things to do is forgive when no apology is offered. I knew he would never admit what he did to me all those years. Years of verbal abuse, of put downs of treating me like a slave, like a dog. No, the dog was definitely treated better than me. I knew I couldn’t move on to the life I truly wanted if I didn’t forgive him. 

This was a hard one for me. I remember being in church as my Bishop said we need to pray for our enemies, even our ex’s and I turned and said I pray he gets hit by a bus! Yes, that was where I was at, at that moment. I couldn’t forgive yet. It’s a process you must go through but the end result is how do you want to feel? Do you want to be locked up in a prison of your own making? Are you going to let anger and hatred rule your life? Is it worth it when they could care less about you or your life? 

So today my friends, let yourself out of prison. Let go of your hurts, your anger and your hatred. You are only hurting yourself, it’s like taking poison and hoping the other person dies. They’re not going to but you are. You are poisoning your other relationships, your heart, you’re killing yourself slowly with this poison you are holding on to. So free yourself today, be free, forgive yourself, forgive others and enjoy your new life.

“Be the change you want to see”

@TreadmillTreats 

“Be the change you want to see”
@Treadmilltreats

“And just when the caterpillar thought his life over…he turned into a beautiful butterfly”

**Now released my latest book**

The Blessing in Disguise…. revealed

https://www.amazon.com/Blessing-Disguise-Revealed-story-faith/dp/1074340493/ref=sr_1_19?keywords=the+blessing+in+disguise&qid=1561392004&s=books&sr=1-19

***Now available***

My 1st book The blessing in Disguise

Selling on my website:

Http://www.treadmilltreats.com

And on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0692437398/ref=mp_s_a_1_13?qid=1462358109&sr=1-13&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=the+blessing+in+Disguise

http://www.am6azon.com/gp/aw/d/0692437398/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?qid=1434452632&sr=8-12&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=the+Blessing+in+Disguise

My weekly Youtube page, please subscribe:

https://youtu.be/LDSXCFJVnzM

Http://www.treadmilltreats.com

Twitter: treadmill treats

Instagram: treadmilltreats

Facebook :treadmill treats

Http://Www.treadmilltreats.com

#treadmilltreats
#Theblessingindisguise
#blog
#blogger
#love
#instagram
#lifestyle
#blogging
#influencer
#bloggers
#bloggerlife
#Garyvee
#Jayshetty
#write
#writer
#motivationalspeaker
#motivation
#motivationalquotes
#motivational
#inspiration
#success
#quotes
#soulsisterssoulution
#NewYorktimesbestseller
#Oprah
#TylerPerry