here are countless examples of people being hurt. What’s remarkable are the different choices people make in dealing with the pain. Most people react in one of two ways: vengeance or avoidance. However, there is a third option, one of the most ancient and fundamental principles of humanity – forgiveness.

Forgiveness occurs when a person moves beyond feelings of animosity to a place of neutral or positive emotions towards another. A recent study  showed that the benefits of forgiveness include improvements in physical, psychological and relational wellness, an increase in optimistic thinking and the perception of social and emotional support, and for some, a greater feeling of connection with the divine.

Lessons learned
It isn’t about overlooking or minimizing hurt; however, it is possible to move on to ultimately being grateful for the lessons learned. Take time to reflect on the insights you have gained. What are the gifts that you have received as a result of having gone through this? What do you now know that you did not know before? Sometimes the answer to this question may be, “I now know that I will never allow that to happen again!” That’s a great answer. Finally, you can release the negative emotions that eat away at your body and your spirit and decide how you wish to proceed with the person.