Letting Go of Hate

Hate and dislike or finding something distasteful are all very different. Whilst they are all on a spectrum, hate is the only one of the three that comes with a wish for the other’s downfall or even death. The mildest form of hate fills us with dread when we think about the things we hate. The strongest form of hate fills us with rage, despair, and a feeling of helplessness. All of these are extremely toxic to us and release negative chemicals in our body. While we are traumatizing our bodies, the object of our hate remains whole with no impact. Hate harms only the person who feels it. Hate holds no functional purpose in our lives. Letting go of hate is one of the best gifts we can give ourselves.

We all know that holding on to hate is bad for our mental health. Letting go of existing hate begins with knowing that we can protect ourselves and be safe without hating. When we feel unsafe, it is easy to look outside of ourselves for reasons for our lack of safety and/or resources. It can often be true that due to no fault of our own we are unsafe and that a person or group of people are making us unsafe. Hating them does nothing to improve our safety or increase our resources. Truly understanding that hate reinforces messages of helplessness and keeps us stuck in destructive cycles can be a motivating factor to let it go. Improving our mental health and overall well-being can also help motivate us. Please trust that letting go of hate does not benefit those that we no longer hate.

Challenging the beliefs that taught us to hate can be incredibly difficult. Ask yourself: are they real? What evidence do you have that your beliefs are correct based on your lived experience? If you hate because you have been hurt, ask yourself if the hate is worth staying trapped in this place of pain and victimization. If you are in a situation that is causing hate, ask yourself: what can you do to start changing your situation? When you realize that you have the power to grow and change, you can start challenging yourself to work towards freedom and prosperity. When we are truly thriving, we are better in every way. Hate prevents you from being truly prosperous because of all of the emotional and mental resources directed at the object, situation, person, or group that the hate is directed at. Letting go of hate is the best way to ensure you have more good days than bad. You deserve to be focused on you and your goals. You deserve to thrive.