Forgiveness: The Intelligent Choice : The World :: American Express OPEN Forum

Forgiveness: The Intelligent Choice

Aug 03, 2010 -

Long ago, Aristotle said: “The energy of the mind is the essence of life.” Today, there is a great deal of research on the importance of managing our energy for optimal performance in every area of our lives. We know that emotions play a pivotal role in harnessing or depleting mind energy. 

 

One emotional response that is not talked about often enough, in this context, is forgiveness. It is one of the least understood qualities and one of the most difficult to practice. And yet, forgiveness is one of the quickest paths to salvaging wasted energy.

 

To forgive someone is to waive our right to resentment, anger or another negative reaction. This is not about condoning or excusing actions, but about intentionally deciding to let go of a sense of offense at snubs, ego scuffs, disappointments and other occurrences that pull our strings. Making forgiveness a part of our operating system is a key aspect of emotional intelligence: it is taking ownership of our own emotional reactions.

 

Forgiveness is not just a “nice to have” quality. There is now scientific evidence that a lack of forgiveness leads to increased stress and anxiety, and chronic conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. One of the pioneers in the field of forgiveness research is Dr. Fred Luskin, Director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Projects and a senior consultant in health promotion at Stanford. In this send to a friend http://bit.ly/b85l6h" title="twitter" rel="Forgiveness%253a%2bThe%2bIntelligent%2bChoice%2b%253a%2bThe%2bWorld%2b%253a%253a%2bAmerican%2bExpress%2bOPEN%2bForum">1

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