Exploring Forgiveness

This concept, forgiveness, how does it make you feel?
What situations, individuals, aspects of the past and present come up for you?
Notice and hold these in your heart as you continue reading this.

The process of understanding what it is to forgive is often a lifelong study, that of compassion and understanding, and also honoring our boundaries and our NO. Forgiveness can be the ultimate paradox: that of being able to love and release anger towards another, while acknowledging deeply the pain, sometimes even trauma, we experienced as a result of their presence in our lives.

Forgiveness, the word itself– FOR, for me, I GIVE. I offer grace towards my life circumstances. I release that which keeps me from being at peace with MY life story.

The life story can indeed hold trauma, nefarious characters, some perhaps more aware than others of the pain they cause or have caused. Some are so wounded, so mentally-emotionally ill, that the ability to self reflect is seemingly absent. Some live on the edge of sanity, and/or emotional breakdown, such that pausing to consider their actions would challenge and crumble their shakily built sense of truth and reality. It can seem like banging against a brick wall at times, this seeking of acknowledgment.

And yet, take a pause in this moment for deep self reflection. When we feel we need something from another in order to move on, it is an opportunity to journey within and ask ourselves– what is it that we are truly seeking?