Forgiving someone does not mean denying a person’s responsibility for hurting you, nor does it mean minimizing, or justifying the act. It does mean being willing to forgive someone without condoning( 宽恕 ) or excusing what they did, and then letting it go. According to Dr. Robert Enright, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a pioneer in the scientific study of forgiveness, forgiveness is a choice. It is the process of uncovering and letting go of anger , while restoring hope and moving on with life. In other words, while there is no question that we have the right to feel resentment and the desire to respond accordingly, we have the ability to make the choice not to. When we do, we refuse to play the role of the victim and we let go of the control and power that the offending person, or situation, has over us. We choose to not allow grudges (怨恨) , hurt or wrongdoings to define our lives.

How can we attain forgiveness and letting go? Begin by acknowledging what hurt or offended you. While denying the hurtful offence may be the first thing you want to do, it is best to admit that it happened. Reflect upon it; take note on how you reacted, and what it has done to your health and well-being. Be able to articulate what was unacceptable about the situation.

Look for a broader perspective on what took place. Make the attempt to understand the other person. Was the offense deliberate, or merely mindless and insensitive? Perhaps the person had no idea they hurt you, or was suffering from something themselves. Did they do it out of selfishness, recklessness, or were there other unknown circumstances at play? Sometimes going through the process of trying to understand the situation sheds new light on the matter and may lessen the hurtful response. It is also possible that you may have been oversensitive at the time. Hurt feelings are invariably subjective. Perhaps you were having a bad day; perhaps they were.

If you happen to know the hurtful act was deliberate, evil and intended to harm you, then you may have to “reframe” the situation. Reframing is a technique whereby you change the conceptual or emotional viewpoint from which you experience an event and put it in a different context or frame of reference. For instance, there are those who do harm to others thinking it will alleviate (减轻) their own pain and distress. They lash out regardless of whom they are hurting, or how. Your ability to sort through a hurtful occurrence and put it into a different “framework” will prepare you to begin the process of forgiveness and letting it go.

As well as acknowledging the event, acknowledge the anger, frustration and myriad emotions, but do not get stuck in them. Practice stress management techniques such as exercise, yoga, deep breathing, guided meditations, or anything else you find soothing and relaxing. Using cognitive strategies like writing in a journal, or talking to a wise friend or counselor, is also very beneficial. In recent studies done on forgiveness-coping strategies, it was found that men responded positively when it was presented as a challenge to them, and negatively when it involved emotion-focused coping. For women, however, it was found to be positively associated with emotion-focused coping and acceptance, and negatively associated with avoidance. Thus, based on these findings, if you’re a man, it is more helpful to approach forgiveness as a challenge, or goal to accomplish. If you’re a woman, working on acceptance , understanding, and compassion may lead you there more successfully.

Commit toward letting go and moving on. Remember first that the act of forgiving is more for your own benefit than anyone else’s. Secondly, forgiveness and letting go take time, so be patient with yourself. Certainly, it can be difficult to separate what you feel emotionally with what makes sense to do logically. However, if you commit to putting your energies on focusing on the benefits of forgiveness and letting go, you can more easily move forward with your life.

Letting go can be defined as “A combination of accepting, but not denying; living in the present and looking forward to the future without regret for the past, and a willingness to move on and beyond”.

Researchers and scientists have been discovering the health benefits of attaining forgiveness. Their studies have shown that serious mental, emotional and physical consequences can result from holding on to grudges and bitterness. Consequences such as depression, anxiety and the feeling that your life lacks meaning and purpose, as well as the loss of valuable connectedness with family and friends become high prices to pay for holding on to resentment.

Get professional help if you need it. If you find it too difficult to forgive and let go on your own, especially if the offending acts have been traumatic, or are ongoing, then consider working through your feelings and deeper issues with a good therapist. It would be more than worth your while to gain the peace of mind you seek and to move forward with your life. K Ultimately, the act of forgiveness releases us from past hurts, memories and enslavement. Alternatively, to not forgive is to surrender oneself to the control of others and allow the present to be consumed by the past. If we choose not to forgive, we subject ourselves to the possibility of carrying anger, bitterness and resentment into future situations and relationships, as well as deprive ourselves of the peace of mind, health and happiness we deserve. In the end, the best revenge is a l ife well lived ! ____ 1 Sometimes an offense occurred when the offender didn’t sense it hurt or they were undergoing something bad. ____ 2 There are some people who would release their own pain and distress through hurting others. ____ 3 If you want to revenge the person who has hurt you, you’d better live your life well, which is the best revenge. ____ 4 Males and females are advised to take different methods to approach forgiveness. ____ 5 Instead of denying or justifying the offense done by the person who has hurt you, forgiving is a choice to give up resentment against the person even though you admit the painful offense. ____ 6 There are various strategies and techniques helping people to get rid of negative emotions such as anger and frustration. ____ 7 Acknowledging the hurtful thing can help you achieve forgiveness. ____ 8 It is found that holding on to resentment and bitterness will lead to many serous psychological and physical problems. ____ 9 It is the forgiver himself other than anyone else who benefits the most from forgiving. ____ 10 Visiting a therapist for help may be a good choice when you find it too hard to forgive someone.