The importance of forgiveness

Let us try to understand forgiveness and what it does for you. What does it really mean to forgive? According to the greater good magazine ” forgiveness is a conscious and deliberate decision to release the feelings of resentment or vengeance towards a person or group who has harmed you.”

How many times have you ever felt like someone did you dirty? That’s a feeling we have all had. In your mind, you are probably saying “if only you knew what they did to me.” No I don’t know, but I can assure you, there is nothing that is unforgivable. Please don’t dismiss me yet, just hear me out. Forgiveness is not about the other party involved, it’s more so for your personal benefit.

Don’t get me wrong, I know personally that the act of forgiveness is not an easy task. You see, one of the things that we all need to grasp, is that forgiveness does not mean that we approve or condone the negative action that was done. Sometimes we experience severe hurt emotionally, which end up turning into bitterness and anger that eats us away psychologically. We have all been there, remember it’s not for them, it’s for you. I’m sure no one likes to be angry or sad all the time. It’s not a good feeling to be walking around with the feeling of resentment everyday. Therefore, for your own growth and happiness forgiveness is necessary.

When you let go of that feeling of resentment, there are so many good things that can come from it. One of the greatest gifts of forgiveness, is having peace of mind. Letting go and forgiving also fosters:

• Lower blood pressure
• Less stress and anxiety
• Good mental health
• Good heart health

It’s natural to feel angry after being wronged and it’s also normal to hold a grudge against the person. Anyone can learn to forgive, it doesn’t matter how big the betrayal was. Like I said before, forgiveness does not mean that you are condoning and it doesn’t mean that you have to remain in whatever situation it is that hurt you. You can forgive and still move away from the hurt.

There is nothing more important than having a peace of mind. It’s not worth it to weigh yourself down with anger and resentment, when life itself is already stressful with all its ups and downs. In order to truly forgive, you have to really put yourself and your feelings aside and put yourself in the shoe of the offender. No one is perfect and if we look in the mirror we will realize that we have hurt someone at some point and desire forgiveness for ourselves. When you don’t forgive, it’s like you torture yourself. Like I said, you can still forgive and walk away. Forgiveness makes you a better person with invaluable experiences to learn from and teach others.