Practicing Forgiveness

Written By Colēgia

Understanding hurt can feel difficult. Sometimes it’s the result of direct actions from someone else. Sometimes it’s because of what we've done. Regardless of the source, forgiveness is a crucial part of the process. Today we want to talk about some ways to practice forgiveness and why it’s so important.

Forgiving Others

In even the best of our relationships, there will be moments where we will feel upset towards someone else. Little things can add up and big things will need to be addressed eventually. One of the biggest reasons to handle these in the moment is because we need to embrace discomfort otherwise we may build resentment. Having a healthy line of communication with others can make us much more receptive when we have a disagreement. It's good to recognize that just because we have a disagreement doesn't mean it's a personal attack against us. Some things are legitimately disrespectful and they're worth addressing whereas others are simply a difference of perspective. Many people might not realize they're affecting us in a negative manner unless we bring it up. Being able to accept others for who they are is essential for forgiveness since it shows us the value of tolerance.

“In even the best of our relationships, there will be moments where we will feel upset towards someone else.”

Forgiving Ourselves

In life, there are many mistakes that we'll make. It's okay to do this since they can teach us more about ourselves and how the world works. Mistakes are an opportunity for us to learn and viewing them as such can give us a more positive relationship with ourselves. A good example of this is taking a test. We can use the knowledge we've learned from it to improve on the next one. If there's anyone who deserves forgiveness it’s us since we deserve happiness and emotional stability. Going through life with regrets isn’t healthy since it means we're denying ourselves the chance to live a life of fulfillment. If we feel guilty for not taking an opportunity it’s important to remember is that sometimes hindsight is 20-20. At any given point in time, we're doing the best that we can with the hand we're given which is all the more reason to be kind.

“Mistakes are an opportunity for us to learn and viewing them as such can give us a more positive relationship with ourselves.”

Forgiving Things Outside Of Our Control

There is a lot in life we don't have control over. The traffic, the weather, other people's thoughts and actions. Each of these are independent of our actions and it's a lot better to focus on what is within our own locus of control. While some of these things can frustrate us, the better alternative is to forgive the world for how it is. This mentality can save us time and energy since it allows us to accept what is already there. With that in mind, change is still worth working towards, it's more of a matter of still retaining your personal power even with things that are frustrating. Forgiveness allows us to move past anger and negativity so that we can work towards a more positive outcome.

Colēgia

Colēgia

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