Do you want to forgive?

Life is not always fair. Things will happen to us that we wish hadn’t.

There may be times when we feel powerless to do what we know is right.

There may be times when we feel weak and someone takes advantage.

There may be times when we’re too scared to take action because it feels too hard.

It’s only natural to hold on to these experiences and wish the outcome was different or that it didn’t happen. Continuously replaying the experience to see if you could have changed it. You may be fortunate enough to figure out how you could have changed things but the fact is the past has happened and cannot be changed. But that doesn’t mean it has to define your future.

You see, the past can often act as an anchor to keep us where we are. To stop us from moving forward by holding onto the experiences we’ve had, whether that’s the influence of others or an event.

Forgiveness is not about saying what happened is okay. Forgiveness is about you. It’s about deciding to release the emotions and feelings that you are holding onto. By holding onto those feelings you are continuing to punish yourself.

So you have a choice. Only you know when you’re ready to take the steps towards your freedom. When you’re ready you may want to try the following.

Acknowledge

Only you know what you have experienced. Give yourself some time and space to acknowledge it. You may find it useful to journal about the experience or even talk to a trusted friend.