FORGIVENESS IS FOR YOU / LET IT GO

 

Forgiveness: A Gift You Give to Yourself

At first glance, the word forgiveness seems like it's about granting something to someone else—a blessing of acceptance, a response to an apology. We're most familiar with this idea: someone says "I'm sorry," and we reply, "I forgive you." But what if there's no apology?

The truth about forgiveness is that it's less about them and more about you. It's not a transaction you make with someone else; it's a profound act of letting go. It's you releasing the hurt, resentment, anger, and betrayal associated with an incident that you felt deserved an apology but never received one.

When we're overlooked, we often feel unable to move on. Instead of simply going on with our lives, we hold on to the event, replaying it, souring that person's name, and telling anyone who will listen, over and over again. All that stress, all that drama. Wouldn't it have been so much easier to just say, "Forget it," and move on?

Forgiveness doesn't require the other person to be present. You can say to yourself, or to the world, "I forgive that person." This simple act frees you from the shackles of that emotional baggage. Another truth is, the other person probably doesn't even know or remember what they did.

So, when you finally get tired of reliving that scenario, and you run into that person and finally muster up the courage to tell them you forgive them, you'll find that it is you who is finally set free. The drama from long ago, which you would have been better off forgetting, has taken up far too much space in your life. Only now can you begin to see that letting go is long overdue.

Forgive them and let it go. It was never really that important anyway. If it was, why didn't you address it when it happened? Because then you wouldn't have had something to gripe and fester over. You see, the burden has always been yours to carry.

Let it go. Forgive them. Set yourself and your life free.