What Nelson Mandela Reminded Me About the Power of Forgiveness (And Why You Need to Forgive, Too)

On being freed from prison in 1990, Mandela had this to say: ”As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.” 

If there was ever a wake-up call, that was it. I realized that by holding on to the anger towards those that had hurt me in the past, I was willingly a prisoner of their dungeons, and I really didn’t want to keep giving them that much power.