Anything that affects us individually affects the whole world. Because the world is made of many more people like us. You and I aren’t different at all; we are both the same. And whatever you see in the external world is a manifestation of our collective inner state. Whenever wars happen, they reflect the inner hate and anger within people. But hate cannot be destroyed with more hate. The only way to end wars or make peace with people who’ve hurt us or who hold opposing worldviews is to recognize that we are fundamentally all the same, and we need to work together for mutual growth and progress.

Today, set your intention to forgive and to replace your hate with love, whether it’s hatred for someone else or for yourself. Empathy, understanding, and forgiveness have immense power. The moment you try to understand or forgive, you are no longer caught in the clutches of hate. Maybe someone wronged you, and you felt hurt at that moment, but that moment is gone. And there’s a good chance they didn’t mean to hurt you; they were hurting inside and didn’t realize what they were doing.

The same is true for you. Instead of blaming or berating yourself for your mistakes and shortcomings, recognize that you’ve always done the best you could given your background, conditioning, and coping skills. Self-hatred won’t change the things you’ve done in the past; it will just make you more likely to do things you’ll feel bad about. And hatred toward other people won’t change how they are; if anything, hateful words and actions will inflame them more—but with understanding and kindness, we actually have a chance of learning and growing together.

Today, accept that hate is like a chain; it binds you. The moment you forgive, you are cutting those chains to the past. You are free. The moment you forgive, you create a chance for love to grow. Today, choose to forgive yourself and shower yourself with kindness. Allow yourself time to heal. and decide to love yourself no matter what. The only way our world can heal is if we heal ourselves individually. That’s how we truly end hate—within ourselves and in the world: with love.

Just for today, I forgive myself and set myself free. I choose to love myself no matter what. I choose to see the world with eyes of love. I am safe and I trust that everything is working out for my highest good. And so it is.