Anger, rat poison snacks, and forgiveness
I once heard that anger is like wanting to get rid of rats by eating rat poison and hoping it will kill them.
That analogy simply describes how toxic anger is, not for the person we are angry at but for ourselves. It creates turmoil in our own hearts. We start to overthink, to ruminate. Sometimes, we get physical and break a toe on the wall.
What is the solution to that?
Letting go. Forgiveness.
If you have read my previous article on this subject, you know I always have struggled with forgiveness.
The conflict most people face when it comes to forgiveness, is that they want to let go. They want to move on with their lives. But, still, they cannot forgive the people who have wronged them because they don’t change, repent, or even realize what they have done.
And so, you are putting yourself in a position where your ability to forgive depends on other people’s willingness to change.
What you can do, though, is focus on what you will do. Then, you will move on with your life.
That means that although you are deciding to stop eating rat poison snacks, you are not going to let yourself kiss, hug and cuddle these rats. Rats are dangerous because they hold all sorts of diseases, and they bite. Also, they are incredibly clever…
Forgiveness is something you do in the realm of your own reality. It doesn’t matter who you are forgiving or for what. It is the process of letting go, on moving on with your life, and of getting on a rat-poison-free diet.
So. Have you been eating rat poison? Are you ready to stop and switch to carrot sticks and hummus?
If you do decide to stop, will you take control over your decision to get down and hug the rats?
I know you have the personal power to do so. However, the hardest part is not to stop eating the rat poison but to realize that you’re eating it.
Originally published at https://www.raphaelreiter.com.
