{"id":22993,"date":"2021-09-15T11:40:04","date_gmt":"2021-09-15T11:40:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/versionx.bronwynrusso.com\/?p=22993"},"modified":"2024-07-11T12:39:19","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T12:39:19","slug":"building-bridges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/versionx.bronwynrusso.com\/?p=22993","title":{"rendered":"Building Bridges"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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Forgiveness can be a difficult pill to swallow as perhaps we believe it means we are okay with or condone what happened. I heard a profound statement by Jean Paul Samputu, a survivor of the genocide in Rwanda \u2013 \u201cMy forgiveness doesn\u2019t have anything to do with justice\u201d – and this got me searching for more understanding. Here was a man, whose family was murdered by his best friend, able to speak about achieving inner peace through forgiveness and building bridges with the perpetrator.<\/p>\n

Samputu explains that forgiveness should be a permanent attitude and that the lack of forgiveness allows the other person to continue to control your life and to continue hurting you. In other words, you are controlled by the bad actions of another. He sees forgiveness as life and resentment as death, and rallies to break the cycle of \u201can eye for an eye\u201d as this keeps the cycle of revenge going. He is a true reflection of strength and inner peace \u2013 demonstrating that revenge is for the weak as forgiveness is much harder.<\/p>\n

Bob Enright, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, who pioneered the study of forgiveness three decades ago\u00a0states that\u00a0true forgiveness goes a step further by\u00a0offering something positive\u2014empathy, compassion, understanding\u2014toward the person who hurt you. That element makes forgiveness both a virtue and a powerful construct in positive psychology.<\/p>\n

As we move toward the end of the year \u2013 let us use this time to learn from those who have forgiven deeply and who describe liberation as a result \u2013 to reflect on who or what situation we can choose to forgive. Forgiveness is a choice.<\/p>\n

Letting go releases the burdens we carry and allows us to move lightly into new beginnings \u2013 a new year. We have carried much baggage from our life stories and experiences as well as the shackles of Covid-19. Let us release the control they have had over us and in doing so, we release the bondage of imprisonment.<\/p>\n

Forgiveness is for you.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Science\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>on\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Forgiveness:<\/em><\/u><\/strong><\/div>\n
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