20/05/2020
What is Forgiveness #
To learn how to forgive, you must first learn what forgiveness is not. Most of us hold at least some misconceptions about forgiveness. Here are some things that forgiving someone doesn't mean:
Forgiveness doesn't mean you are pardoning or excusing the other person's actions.
Forgiveness doesn't mean you need to tell the person that he or she is forgiven.
Forgiveness doesn't mean you shouldn't have any more feelings about the situation.
Forgiveness doesn't mean there is nothing further to work out in the relationship or that everything is okay now.
Forgiveness doesn't mean you should forget the incident ever happened.
Forgiveness doesn't mean you have to continue to include the person in your life.
.. and forgiveness isn't something you do for the other person.
By forgiving, you are accepting the reality of what happened and finding a way to live in a state of resolution with it. This can be a gradual process and it doesn't necessarily have to include the person you are forgiving. Forgiveness isn't something you do for the person who wronged you; it's something you do for you.
So if forgiveness is something you do for yourself and if it can help you heal, why is it so hard?
There are several reasons: You're filled with thoughts of retribution or revenge; you enjoy feeling superior; you don't know how to resolve the situation; you're addicted to the adrenaline that anger provides; you self identify as a "victim"; or you're afraid that by forgiving you have to reconnect or lose your connections with the other person. These reasons not to forgive can be resolved by becoming more familiar with yourself, with your thoughts and feelings, and with your boundaries and needs.
Now that you know what forgiveness is not and why it's so hard to do, ask yourself: Do I want to forgive?
Forgiveness requires feeling willing to forgive. Sometimes you won't, because the hurt went too deep, or because the person was too abusive.