Forgiveness is the candy of nature.

Chocolate, sweet candy, and even fruits create sweetness, pleasure, and a good feeling. Sometimes the energy goes up, the headache goes away, and we are motivated to conquer the world… Well, maybe a bit exaggerated but compared to the lollipop or chocolate, sorry, it does work.

The difference is that the effect of sugar in sweet foods is relatively short, and sorry… it is a process.

But once we forgive and release, sometimes we can also “conquer the world.”

Many perceive the meaning of forgiveness as a synonym for Yom Kippur. Once a year, the deep meaning of forgiveness rises to the agenda ahead of Yom Kippur and makes us think, observe, dare and take stock of the past year: who I hurt, who hurt me, what is bothering me, and holding me back in life and what I want to forgive and release.

Forgiveness and health

When we do not forgive, we carry great pain and distress. Forgiveness pain can affect our health by lowering blood pressure, cholesterol levels, heart rate, and sleep quality and causing illness. When you do not forgive, you repeatedly experience feelings of revenge, hostility, bitterness, anger, fear of future harm, and sometimes even depression. All of these feelings have mental and physical consequences for your health.

Research

Many studies support the direct link of forgiveness to health. And think for a moment: How much do anger, resentment, and guilt hurt us? How do these emotions take over and manage us? A study conducted in the United States at the State of Florida University, published in July 2014 in the American Journal of Cardiology, found that forgiving people protect their heart health more than an attitude of hostility, aggression, and anger. The study examined 308 young women and found that a forgiving approach to life has a good effect on heart health.

Another American study at the University of Missouri among Christian women, published in the February 2014 issue of the Journal of Religion and Health, found that forgiveness is statistically linked to depressive symptoms. The higher the tendency to forgive, the lower the tendency to depression.

Studies support the ability of forgiveness to affect our health.

Do not forget and do not forgive

Respect – Sometimes, we think and feel that if we apologize or are forgiven after hurting us, it will indicate a certain form of humiliation or inferiority, while forgiveness is our ability to free ourselves from the situation or the other person. Forgiveness is for ourselves and us. It frees up space and a lot of better and healthier space.

Most of the time, we do not forgive because the ego drives us and sometimes causes us to climb a tree that is too high and challenging to get off. The ego is supposed to keep us from doing things that will hurt us. It protects from crises, distress, and unpleasant situations. Once the ego changes its initial role and becomes conservative to the manager, it poses a danger to ourselves and our relationship with the environment.

Lack of forgiveness is like a sack of potatoes we carry in our bodies.