Forgiveness can be one of he hardest concepts to understand, but one of the most helpful actions you can take. If you want to move on and give yourself the life of a hero, not a victim, consider the power of forgiveness.Here are some steps to assist you in the process of forgiveness.
- Be aware that forgiveness is all about YOU, not the person being qforgiven. It does not mean you agree with, or accept their behavior, or that you will permit it to be repeated.
- Ask yourself how holding onto your anger is creating pain in your life? Are you filled with tension or anxiety? Are you having trouble sleeping? Do you have headaches or other stress signals? Hurt and anger are meant to be fleeting emotions not permanent fixtures.
- Ask yourself, “to what extent have I been responsible for the outcome”? Be totally honest. Did you make things worse by the way you reacted or what you said? Honestly acknowledging your part is a step toward feeling less like
a victim. Are you blaming the person who hurt you for the way you feel? - Take an honest look at the lessons you’ve learned from this hurtful experience. Are you stronger, wiser, or have you become a better person because of what has happened? Can you turn this experience into a way to help others who have gone through or are going through the same experience?
- Give yourself permission to forgive yourself AND the person who wronged you. We only have control over our own emotions and actions, not the actions of others.
Forgiveness frees you up to put your energy where you want it- on the people you love, the things you love to do, and the future you want. Don’t waste another minute feeding the hurt, pain and sorrow you experienced yesterday. If you forgive, you are healing yourself.
“The past is over. Forgiveness meansgiving up all hope of a better past.” Jack Kornfield