"Forgiveness Is Not for Them, It's for You" - Immaculée Ilibagiza

How large is your capacity for forgiveness? Author and
motivational speaker Immaculée Ilibagiza grew up in a small
village in Rwanda, Africa. With her loving parents and three
brothers, Immaculée excelled in school and eventually went on to
study electrical and mechanical engineering at the National
University of Rwanda. However, her life took a dramatic turn in
1994. 


On April 6 of that year, the assassination of the Rwandan
President ignited months of massacres targeting Tutsi tribe
members across the country. To protect his daughter from rape and
murder, Immaculée's father instructed her to seek refuge at a
local pastor's house. There, she hid with seven other women in a
cramped 3 x 4-foot bathroom for the next 91 days. Amidst the
genocide raging outside, Immaculée battled anger and resentment,
which threatened to consume her mind, body, and spirit. It was in
this desperate state that she turned to prayer, clutching a set
of rosary beads her father had given her. Through prayer and
faith, she found the strength to resist hate, even using this
dark time to teach herself English using only a Bible and a
dictionary. 


Emerging from her hiding place after 91 days, Immaculée faced a
harrowing reality—her entire family, except for one brother
studying abroad, had been brutally murdered. She also discovered
the massacre of nearly one million extended family members,
friends, neighbors, and fellow Rwandans. Despite unimaginable
suffering, Immaculée shocked the world by forgiving the man who
had killed her mother and brother. 


Immaculée Ilibagiza's story offers profound insights and
actionable steps to strengthen emotional resilience, release
burdens through forgiveness, and contribute to a greater shift in
collective consciousness. To share Immaculée's message of healing
and forgiveness, Sage and Tony Robbins are honored to present
this powerful moment from a private event with their Platinum
Partners in Mexico. Please enjoy! 


Watch this episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBOu2rE8Ljg&t=986s


SHOW NOTES:


[00:38] Tony’s Intro


[03:05] Disclaimer


[04:27] Lessons learned from the Genocide


[05:28] How the Genocide started


[07:18] Propaganda used to spread hatred


[09:00] Our Lady of Fatima’s warning


[10:00] Moment the killings started


[11:20] Last memory of her father


[13:45] Final message her father shared


[15:25] How life changed in just 3 days


[16:00] Hiding in a 3x4 space with 7 other women


[19:50] Learning to listen to the voice within


[21:45] The moment Immaculée met God


[24:50] Embrace hope/receive a sign


[26:05] A miracle happens


[28:22] Turning to the Bible for answers


[31:31] Not being ready to forgive


[31:55] The worst thing about anger


[35:50] A prayer from the heart can change you


[37:30] Learning to forgive through God


[42:24] Moment the anger went away


[44:11] Discovering that her family was among those killed


[45:55] Life's a gift and there are no guarantees


[46:56] Incredible examples of Immaculée’s prayers being answered


[50:27] Story behind her book being published


[53:52] Meeting the man who killed her family and forgiving him


[55:42] Immaculée’s message of hope


Tony Robbins is a #1 New York Times best-selling author,
entrepreneur, and philanthropist. For more than four and a half
decades, millions of people have enjoyed the warmth, humor, and
dynamic presentation of Mr. Robbins' corporate and personal
development events. As the nation's #1 life and business
strategist, he's called upon to consult and coach some of the
world's finest athletes, entertainers, Fortune 500 CEOs, and even
presidents of nations.