The kindest thing we can do to ourself is to forgive the unforgivable. Our “enemy” may not deserve to be forgiven, but we deserve to be free. The earlier we realize that our anger doesn’t do any harm to the other person, and most likely they are not even giving a thought about us, the better it would be. We should rather strive to see the “unfortunate things” that happen to us as little tests to make us into a better, stronger and wiser person. And to turn it around, we should actually thank this person for giving us this “test” that strengthens us. And, as I have said in a previous article, forgiveness is not about acceptance of wrong behavior. It is our gift to ourself, not the other party.

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”

I am a big fan of quotes and one-liners, and while writing and pondering over the issues of giving up anger and embracing forgiveness in the last few months, I have come across a list of quotes I have found filled with immense wisdom about the topic. Read my top 10 list below –

1. “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” ~Mahatma Gandhi
2. Remember that we are all doing the best we can at the time. -Diane Paul
3. I know that I need to forgive someone, not for their benefit, but for my own peace of mind. Don’t do it for them, do it for you! -Cathryn Kent
4. You remember why you love them. Love is about forgiveness.- Holly Chapman
5. Give up on all hope of a better past. -Matt Child
6. Forgiveness comes easy when you know that what people say or do is about them, it’s not about you. -Kim Kings
7. “Hating someone is drinking poison and expecting the other person to die from it.”
8. The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naïve forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget. – Thomas Szasz
9. True forgiveness is not an action after the fact, it is an attitude with which you enter each moment. – David Ridge
10. A lack of trust is sometimes simply recognizing another’s limitations – Rose Sweet