Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves. I don't know about you, but I don't often give myself gifts. Sure, I buy gifts for others for those special occasions and even "just because," but I don't make a habit of doing that for myself. Forgiveness is a gift that costs nothing but is truly priceless.
We are often so focused on meeting the needs of others, that we neglect our own needs. We give and give and give and then one day we wake up and feel -- empty. Not surprising since we haven't taken the time to love and care for ourselves while we've been loving and caring for others.
One of the best ways we can choose to love and care for ourselves is to forgive ourselves and those who have hurt us. Forgiveness is truly a gift we give to ourselves, whether the object of our forgiveness is ourself or another person.
When we refuse to forgive, we put ourselves in a prison of anger and bitterness, constantly replaying over and over in our head how we were hurt and how justified we are in holding onto our unforgiveness.
Have you ever noticed that, while you may harbor great hurt and anger toward another person, they are often totally unaware of how you feel. So, while they are freely and fully going about their daily life, you are consumed with anger and hurt and not enjoying your day to day living.
There is a way to break this unhealthy cycle. Free yourself by extending grace to yourself and others. Cut yourself some slack. You are probably your own worst critic. Why not be your own greatest cheerleader instead? Catch yourself doing something right and celebrate it! Pat yourself on your back, tell yourself what a great job you did, compliment yourself and accept it as is.
Allow yourself to live fully, freely and joyfully while allowing others to take responsibility for themselves. You can't change anyone else. You can't change the past. But you can choose to live in the present by letting go of that which holds you back and keeps you unhealthy.
Love yourself enough to let go of the past and live in the present, enjoying each moment of each day. Life is too short to waste it by being angry at others or yourself any longer. Decide today to love, forgive and move on. If you'd like some one to partner with you on this journey through forgiveness, feel free to contact me. I'd be honored to journey with you toward freedom.