Forgiveness Is a Gift We Give Ourselves

It’s all too easy to let the past control you, instead of letting go of blame, anger and resentment and forgiving yourself for previous bad judgements. But forgiveness can be good for body and soul and it’s one gift you can give yourself.

Often, we struggle to forgive, believing it’s letting the other person off the hook. Forgiveness doesn’t mean this at all and the other person must still take responsibility for their choices and actions. Forgiving is simply making peace with the situation and being ready to let go. When you forgive, it wipes the slate clean, freeing up energies that may have been preventing you from achieving new levels of happiness and self-esteem.

In practice, forgiving can be challenging and one way to begin is to start a journal, making a list of who and what you need to forgive. When you see the words written down, it’s easier to realise the emotional pain that you are carrying. Writing down your emotions helps the process of forgiveness and you should always begin by forgiving yourself for not meeting your expectations. Try writing a forgiveness letter to yourself. Once completed, symbolically destroy or burn the letter, so you start the process of moving forward.