by I love puns and other word art. I can’t believe how words and phrases change over time or between cultures.
In my day, “off the hook” meant one of two things: you didn’t hang the phone up properly, or, you let someone off with something that they should have been punished for.
Apparently, “off the hook” now also means an party was awesome, busy, or cool…
I want to talk about the benefits of the second meaning I list above: letting something go, otherwise known as forgiveness.
People hurt people.
It’s been that way from the beginning.
Some people hurt by mistake, others hurt on purpose – either way it hurts.
Many times in the workplace hurt is caused by mistake and, in my experience, mostly as a result of miscommunication or misunderstanding.
The problem is, if the situation doesn’t get resolved, we carry around a lot of negative emotion, which affects us mentally, emotionally, and even physically.
After over 20 years of being in the workforce, I can honestly say the best advice I have is to forgive the offender.
Let it go.
Now, forgiving doesn’t mean ‘not learning’. Nor does it mean the issue shouldn’t be dealt with (especially if it is criminal).
We can forgive, but learn from the incident for future reference.
If we need to work daily with the person who hurt us, we should protect ourselves from further damage.
We can forgive, but still hold the person accountable for their actions. We should still confront them either on our own or with someone else – depending on the circumstances.
But for our own mental health – we must let it go once we’ve dealt with it.
Trust me, you’ll be much healthier…and so will all of your relationships.
Is there anyone you need to let off the hook, so your day can be “off the hook”?
