Forgive Someone: Improve Your Outlook on Life
Forgiveness is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. When you forgive someone who has wronged you, whether they know you have or not, you release yourself from the anger and bitterness that you may have been holding against that person for who knows how long.
That person who wronged you probably doesn’t even feel bad about the situation; they probably aren’t even aware of it. Only you feel bad. When you forgive someone, you can let go of the negative feelings inside you and improve your self-esteem on the spot.
It’s not always easy to forgive, but you will find that with time, you will see the positive results that forgiveness can bring. As you are able to let go of more and more internal negative feelings about others, you will notice your emotional load will begin to lift. Learning how to forgive someone is a great step towards self-care.
What is Forgiveness?
Forgiveness is a decision to let go of the resentment you are holding against another person. Forgiving someone does not mean that you have to forget what event it was that hurt you or pretend that it never happened. It doesn’t justify the wrong that was committed. It simply means you have come to peace with it. As you let that resentment flow from your body, you make room for more positive thoughts to work their way in.
Through forgiveness, you can then focus on collecting positive thoughts and start to climb the steps to a more positive self-esteem and self-worth. Forgiveness sometimes can even help you understand why a certain person acted a certain way towards you. You may even begin to develop some empathy and compassion for the person who hurt you.
Forgiveness can lead to both physical and emotional well-being, such as:
- Less anxiety and stress
- Healthier relationships with others
- Fewer symptoms of depression
- Higher self-esteem
- Lower blood pressure
- A stronger immune system
- Improved heart health
Make Forgiveness a Part of Your Life
Learning how to forgive others is crucial to your ability to achieve self-care, and self-love. You need to make it a regular part of your life if you are going to get through life with a smile on your face.
Let go of expectations. An apology may never be forthcoming from the person who hurt you. Don’t let yourself believe that things will never be right again if that is so. If you wait around for the apology you think you deserve, and it never comes, you are the only one who will be harboring negative feelings and resentment. Try to learn not to expect the apology, and you won’t be disappointed.
Probably the most important part of forgiveness is that of learning to forgive yourself. Forgive yourself for holding grudges; forgive yourself for slighting other people. When you encounter feelings that are bringing you down and making you doubt your self-worth, figure out what is causing them and forgive yourself for giving in to their influence. When you begin to let go of grudges, you’ll stop defining yourself by how much you’ve been hurt. Instead, you’ll be putting yourself on the track to happier days.