Forgive & Give

When we live with people, differences are bound to crop up. These differences are the proofs that we are gifted with ability to think differently. We should learn to celebrate these differences & respect the opinions of others. While we should exercise our freedom of choice, we should also learn to be tolerant to the opinions of others, howsoever ridiculous these may sound. Chances are your opinion would also sound as bizarre to the other person as his view sounds to you. Give others a chance to express what they have got to say. 

"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."

                                                                                                                                         - Voltaire

Many a time, people may hurt you by making a comment about you or by doing something that you don't approve of. Don't take it to heart; don't take it personally. It is not his view about you; it is his view about himself. Forgive him & move on. When you become vindictive you try to gather all kinds of weapons to slay the views of the person who took an antagonistic stand. And the weight of those weapons stops you to move any further in your life. You get stuck at the place where you decided to take revenge. The funny part of this battle is that another person might not be aware of what's going on in your mind & he remains as light as he was before the misunderstanding. He remains out of bound because he is moving swiftly unaware of your intentions.

We may also displease others on a non-issue on a day-to-day basis; in fact, we don't displease others, we displease ourselves. Man is an emotional animal & these emotions are wired to emotions of people living around him. So, we can't escape pain if we hurt others. Our mood is not an independent entity. It depends largely on the atmosphere that we live in which is created by our own behavior towards others. When we displease someone, we lay the foundation for a bad mood for ourselves.

The next time when you go to pray, forgive everyone who has hurt you. Not only forgive them, but also give thanks for providing you with a chance to test your tolerance. Remember, no one can hurt you against your wish.