Forgiveness, the Gift You Give Yourself

It is said that a grudge is the heaviest thing you can carry. If someone has hurt you in any way, forgiving them is the best way to move on with your life and let go of the anger towards them and the situation.

This is often easier said than done.

Forgiveness can be effortless if the person who did you wrong is truly remorseful and tells you so. But what if they aren’t sorry and don’t ever apologize? It would seem that they have no right to be forgiven and you have every right to your anger. The problem with that is they aren’t feeling your anger or any other negative emotion – you are. If you are holding on to anger, resentment, hurt or blame and running the story (or stories) over and over again in your mind, then you are the one being affected. The other person may have no idea how bad you feel, may even not care, or may just be incapable emotionally of recognizing their own bad behavior.

Negative feelings, especially anger, can destroy you from the inside out. Harboring them can keep you in the past and block you from truly being present; affecting your relationships, your health and your future. Hasn’t the person you’re not forgiving caused you enough pain? Allowing them to continue to cause you more is giving your power away and keeping you stuck, while most times, they have moved on happily living their life.

Forgiveness is the gift you give yourself, regardless of the other person. Letting go of the grudge lightens your burdens and leaves space for all the good things you deserve. Easier said than done, but definitely worth the effort.