Rosh Hashanah - The Art of Forgiving (applies to any line of work)
This is a great holiday that teaches to forgive. This can be a very difficult thing to do. It takes a lot of strength.
Sometimes, I really hold onto all of my resentment for a specific person and can’t move on. I replay what the person had done wrong to me over and over again. It keeps me in this pissed off state, so every time that person’s name is mentioned, the hairs in my arm spike up.
I wish I could say that I was a forgiving person. Though I am better than I used to be, I still have a long way to go.
In high school, I was good friends with this girl who was a pathological liar. She would not only stretch the truth, she would make up entire stories. This would not be a big deal if it was harmless … it was exactly the opposite. She caused problems, ruined reputations, and who knows what else with all of her lies. Her lies really affected me back then. Lucky for her, I had no self - value, so I brushed off these awful happenings and continued my friendship with her. It wasn’t until she got my friend in trouble with the police - that’s when I pulled the plug on the friendship. She could mess with me, but I would NEVER let her mess with a friend. I dropped her immediately. It was long overdue.
That was 1998 and now it is 2008. I still haven’t forgiven her. If I do, I fear that I will let her be my friend and be hurt all over again.
Have you ever had a relationship like this? Have you been able to forgive? Did it effect your professional life?