Ready to let go of the pain? Try forgiveness.

The emotional pain suffered at the hands of others can keep us stuck in the past, which could impact our functioning and relationships. Others may tell us “Forgive and forget and move on”, but that is easier said than done, right! I too felt the same way, so much unforgiveness and holding on to anger and resentment, I became an angry critical person. Maybe you too can resonate with these feelings. But really what does forgiveness mean? Why should I forgive? How can I learn to forgive?

The common misconceptions of forgiveness are condoning unkindness, forgetting the painful event occurred, excusing poor behavior, denying the hurt, and reconciling with the person who caused the pain. Forgiveness is a choice; it is an ongoing process. It has nothing to do with the other person, and everything to do with you. Forgiveness releases the chains that tether us to the wrongdoer. The main reason we don’t forgive is because we do not know how to forgive. Did we ever truly learn how to forgive? Learning to forgive is a skill to be practiced daily. Start today by forgiving the small insults of life, like being cut off in traffic or poor customer service. Try forgiveness, release the pain, and be at peace.