Oh Sweet Revenge?

There is a old proverb that goes, "Before you begin on the journey of revenge, dig two graves."

Have you every been hurt by someone. Really hurt; where somebody acted in a malicious manner toward you, purposefully acting out in a vindictive way, so much so that it was painfully obvious that they were going above and beyond to get back at you?

It doesn't even have to be a vindictive act. Sometimes it can be just as painful of an experience when you are being hurt or punished by someone who believes that what they are doing is actually right, or necessary, or even loving.

Most of us find revenge, at least in principle, to be pointless, that is until we are the ones being hurt by somebody. Revenge never seems to be a good idea until we are laying under the crushing weight and stress of the onslaught of someone's anger and retribution. It's at that point that the idea of getting back at someone becomes the most potent. It's at that juncture when making a decision about what to do becomes incredibly difficult.

In the midst of the storm of emotion and hurt, when you are feeling cheated and wronged, when someone you cared for has unloaded their most bruising of blows, that is the moment when the most difficult of decisions appears. It is that moment where we have to set aside our deep seated emotions and consider the cost of revenge. To be sure, revenge may seem like it would relieve the hurt, but the unfortunately reality of dealing blows is that there is no end to retaliation.

Instead of considering the pleasure of hitting back, consider the cost of an your injured hand. Dealing a blow takes energy and has a cost. The choice we have to make is whether we want to waist our time and energy and health serving retribution, or invest that same power in friends or people who reward us with love and patience.

The choice whether to revenge or to move-on has little to do with justice, or being vindicated. It has only to do with where we channel our energy: whether toward the abyss of avengement, or to the creation of new life and new love.