Forgiveness

Guest Author - Sharon Michaels

Forgiveness is about finding peace with the past and allowing yourself the joy of a positive future. It’s not always the easiest thing to do, but in the long run it can be the physically and emotionally healthy thing to do. Here are a few tips for making peace with the past.

Definition: Forgiveness is learning how to stop feeling the anger and resentment for past differences and/or mistakes. Forgiveness is about making emotional and physical peace with the past. Forgiveness is learning to eliminate the grudges, guilt and anger you may be feeling toward yourself and/or others.

Let me ask you a question: If you don’t forgive and let go of past hurt, pain and anger then who is the one paying the price? Who is the one stressing? Who is the one not letting go? Who is the one living with the negative emotions?

Wouldn’t you agree that your feelings have the power to control your day-to-day life emotionally, physically and spiritually? Negative emotions eventually begin to take a toll on how well you live life. You have a choice to either forgive and go forward or remain emotionally locked within the past.


Forgiveness is healthy for so many positive and powerful reasons – here are a few:

You’re less stressed when you forgive

You’ll find yourself less prone to anger and resentment

You’re less likely to become depressed

There’s an overall feeling of well-being and peacefulness

You’ll be more likely to encourage healthy relationships

You’re less likely to fall into addictive habits and behaviors

You’ll smile and laugh more often!

It’s natural to feel angry, sad and disappointed when someone hurts or lets you down. Forgiving is not forgetting. Forgiveness is letting go of the negative emotions that may be holding your back and giving yourself the energy to go forward in positive ways.

Anger and guilt begin to chip away at your self-esteem, self-confidence and self-motivation. Holding onto the pain can destroy the ability to heal from the inside out. To begin the forgiveness process means realizing how valuable it is for your emotional and physical health to let go of blame and anger and find inner peace.

Here are some suggestions for beginning the forgiveness process:
1. Consciously embrace the importance of forgiveness. Make time to begin focusing on the productive and positive impact it will have on your life.

2. Write down your angry and bitter feelings. How have these feelings impacted your life? Now, write about how forgiving will change your life for the positive and bring closure to this situation.

3. Allow yourself to own the fact that becoming more proactive in life is a giant positive step forward. Make time to feel the positive emotion of hope and peace.

The power to forgive is about taking control of your emotions and living life in a positive and healthy way. Forgiveness is a choice. But consider this, if you choose not to forgive then what will your life be like in six months or a year?

Forgiving yourself and others isn’t easy. It can though allow you the power to move on with compassion, strength and peace of mind.


“The weak can never forgive.
Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
Mahatma Gandhi


**If you believe you may have an emotional or physical condition, you should consult a health care professional for diagnosis, help and treatment. This article is not intended to give medical or emotional advice. It is for entertainment purposes only.**

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