On the Topic of Forgiveness or Another Reason I love James Altucher

In this post, I talked about some of the writers who inspire me, both as a writer and in general, and James Altucher was one of them.

Then, in my last post, I shared an AMAZING video of a 3 minute lecture given by a sheikh, someone famous (enough that my husband knows his name but I forgot to write it down) on how hatred is a disease of one's own heart and does not affect the person/people we hate even one iota but burns up our hearts. Wait...you didn't watch the video? Well git on over thar an watch it! (I'll wait...)



You watched it, right? It's only 3 minutes and it'll change your life. Just watch it!


Ok...so. Back to the point: Being a co-wife and having been duped into polygyny in the first place and now living a in a situation wherein I am always playing an away game against a very beloved home-team, the topic of hatred and forgiveness have been on my mind.  A LOT. Which is where James Altucher comes in again.
(Little note: I'll be honest, I began this post before even reading the actual content of the article because I knew from the title and from his previous writing history that he would rock the topic. He really is amazing! Check out his website! )

He posted this article today and I HAD to share it. I am not gonna copy and paste the whole thing cuz I doubt he'd like that and...I'm hungry. But here are a few highlights:

"I know exactly what I’m going to do. Don’t tell anyone. I’m going to  put on a ski mask, find where they live in Brooklyn, show up at their door when they leave for work about six in the morning, and hit them with a baseball bat.  I might not even wear a ski mask. I want the person to know it’s me.

And what did this person do to me? In this particular case, something small. Not even worth talking about. He blocked an opportunity for me that I no longer care about. But still, he did it. He did it to hurt me. And now I’m angry." -James Altucher

"Often I can forgive people by doing an act of kindness to them. You don’t always want to do this. It sounds like you’re kissing the ass of people who whip your ass. But often, if someone has made you angry, a simple “hello” or “good job!” will diffuse the situation. Kindness is the most powerful weapon created for humans when used correctly. And honestly." -James Altucher

Oh, how I can relate, James, old man. I may have even used that "kissing the ass of people who whip your ass" line recently. 

Now please, for your own good, go over to his site and read this article entitled "10 Ways to Forgive the Person You Want to Kill" (love the title. No holds barred, friend. )

What are some ways you are able to forgive someone who has hurt you/continues to hurt you/will not apologize/insists you are, in fact, the one who owes them an apology?