Let Go Of Hate

Hate is an exhausting emotion. I've heard people disagree with me on this, but I don't believe their argument. They get fired up using examples to prove to me Hate is a worthy emotion to hold on to. There are circumstances where I agree.  Hating oppression, starvation, and injustice are good things. The value of that hate only goes as far as the hater using that emotion to inspire them to help resolve or fix the problem. If you hate the situation but are doing nothing to fix what you hate, what use is that emotion? Hate brings sorrow, misery, and frustration. Why do I want to surround myself with those emotions? I don't, and neither should you. If hate will inspire you to create good, create happy, than hold onto it for the inspiration. Otherwise you need to let it go.

My next argument I hear is "I can't". That's not true, the truth is "I won't". We can train ourselves to do anything if we accept we can do it. It's like learning to ride a bike for the first time; you're not going to always get it right away, but you will get it eventually. If you never learn how to let go of hate, at least you can lessen the hate you feel over time. 

Common examples of simple hates are ex's in relationships. "I hate her/him for breaking my heart. I'll never forgive her/him." That may be what the ex deserves, but it isn't what you deserve. Each time a memory of that relationship is brought up, you'll think of the ex with hate. It will bring you down. Who's winning from that situation? Certainly not you. Here's how I see it: By dating that person, I became a better part of myself. I'm a little wiser and I'm a lot stronger. I wouldn't be the person I am if I didn't have them in my life, and I like who I am- whether they're with me or not. I can't change the way they feel and make them love me by hating them, and they can't change the way they feel to love me regardless of what I do. I'm going to let it go, let them go, and be happy for the good times I had with them. There will always be good memories to look back on, otherwise you wouldn't hate them so much for leaving you. Sure, I can't have more, but I enjoyed the ride while I was on it. It propels me to find someone new to enjoy the ride with and create new memories. A new adventure is always a good thing. Not only do I lose the hate, but I am inspired to look forward to something new. 

The bottom line is life is too short. While we're here, we need to laugh, love and enjoy ourselves as much as we possibly can. Surrounding ourselves with hate is going to pull away from the experience and make it bitter. Take a deep breath, let it go as you exhale, and focus on the things that make you smile. If you need some help with that, focus on this: