Freedom Through Forgiveness

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and to discover the prisoner was you.”

– Corrie Ten Boom

Forgiveness has come up for me a lot lately. The Universe has brought forth so many situations where I have had a choice; either to choose forgiveness or to suffer in anger and resentment. The quote above by Corrie Ten Boom perfectly describes my thoughts on forgiveness. When we hold onto resentment towards other people for actions they’ve done—whether or not we have any responsibility for it, we are the ones who suffer. Like I say so many times in these blogs, we have zero control over the external world, but we do have control over our own internal, we choose every second of every day our thoughts, our mentality, our happiness, and so we too have the choice to forgive and set ourselves free.

Freedom is something that I crave on a daily basis; I have to feel free. I noticed recently in a situation where I couldn’t forgive, and in return I felt trapped. It was all encompassing, and damaging on so many levels. I knew what I needed to do. Forgiveness is not always easy, and in fact it can feel like the hardest thing in the world to do, but I promise you it’s worth it. Forgiveness does set you free.

Here are some of my steps towards forgiveness; I hope they help you in your forgiving journey!

Be open to the possibility of forgiveness. The first step towards forgiveness is simply opening up your mind to the possibility of it. As we know, our mindset makes a huge impact on our reality.
Set an intention to see the situation differently, look at it with a lens of love. Start to wonder how you can view the situation in the form of a lesson or teaching. View the situation from all sides.
See the other person as yourself. Have compassion for the person that hurt you by remembering hurt people hurt people. When someone wrongs us, it usually has nothing to do with us, but with the traumas that the other person is holding on to.
Release resentments, anger, and hurt through journaling. It’s important to feel your feelings; they are always valid! Once you’ve worked through the emotions, work towards releasing them so that they no longer weigh you down. Journaling or free writing is a great form of release.
Be gentle with yourself. You don’t have to forgive someone or even yourself overnight. Don’t judge or criticize the time it takes. Remember to stay positive, keeping in mind your intention to be free.

Is there someone or something you need to forgive so you can feel free? What are some of your steps for forgiveness? Let me know in the comments!

Love, Michelle