Two prisoners of war meet years later and one said to the other “have you forgiven your captors yet?” the man said “no and I never will”
he responded by saying “well they still have you imprisoned then don’t they?”
You can free yourself from the past through forgiveness, you can let go of resentment, bitterness and any grudges you still carry. You have to ask yourself what is this resentment and grudge you’re choosing to hold on to, giving you? Is it giving you the ability to play the ‘victim card’ or the ‘abandoned one’? This might be totally valid in your mind but it’s not helping or serving you…it’s hard work to manage that underlying anger, that negative energy chips away at your ability to be happy and free. Forgiving that person doesn’t mean forgetting or excusing someone that hurt, offended or broke your trust, but it will free you from the ‘control’ this person has over you. The thing you soon realise is that the person you can’t forgive, you resent and are thinking of ways to get your revenge, is on holiday in the Bahamas, drinking pina coladas and you are the only one with anger, sadness and frustration …. So who is suffering?
Forgiveness is your choice… take back your power!
Forgive yourself and choose to forgive the person who offended or hurt you, even if they don’t deserve it, understand forgiveness is a process alongside compassion and empathy, you might need to ‘check-in’ and adjust over time.
You can’t change the other person or their behaviour – forgiveness is ALL about you and your ability to choose how you think and the emotions you feel, it’s how it can change YOUR life and bring YOU peace, healing, healthier relationships, improved self-esteem and less stress and anxiety.
“Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong” – Mahatma Gandhi