3 Reasons To Forgive
Including yourself, your mistakes, and your past
What Is The Purpose Of Forgiveness
I am a Scorpio, Capricorn, Leo…Sooooo forgiveness can be slightly challenging for me. I tend to hold on to things people have done to me, mistakes I have made, and hurt from life (God) in general.
I would hold on so tightly because I could never get myself to express my hurt, anger, and disappointment. I held it all in and of course, just like anything else that suppresses pressure I exploded and it was always at the wrong time, wrong person, and wrong choice of words.
Resentment inflamed my ego, causing me to think people were better than me. I suffered silently thinking my feelings didn’t matter, no one wanted to listen to me, I was just a waste of space. This was my inner dialogue for years.
Holding on to these cause me pain and suffering until I was sick and tired. And at that moment it taught me to let go, it has been six years since I decided to change my life for the better by getting sober. The process of forgiving started the day I put down the bottle. I needed to learn to forgive myself for all the embarrassing moments, all the people I hurt in the process of destroying myself, and what alcohol did to my mental health.
Through therapy, hospitalizations, and plain intuition I learned that forgiveness is only for your own sanity. It does not take away the pain, it does not change the circumstances and it does not heal the wounds. But it does give you a milestone to begin the healing and forgiving process of letting go.
This is what I have learned, I hope it helps and inspires you on your Journey To Forgiveness.
Forgive For These 3 Reasons
- Healing of the mind, body, and soul- “There is an enormous physical burden to being hurt and disappointed,” says Karen Swartz, M.D., director of the Mood Disorders Adult Consultation Clinic at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Chronic anger puts you into a fight-or-flight mode, which results in numerous changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and immune response. Those changes, then, increase the risk of depression, heart disease, and diabetes, among other conditions. Forgiveness, however, calms stress levels, leading to improved health. Forgiving gives your body the ability to let go of the overwhelm, the stress, and overthinking caused by the pain of betrayal of the past. Give your body a break and let go. Forgive and find healing in letting go.
- Peace- Overthinking causes stress, stress affects your body directly. It affects your brain function, how you perceive the world, and your physical body is affected as well. Stress can manifest in pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, panic attacks… and so much more! Allo the magic of forgiveness to bring you peace of mind.
- Reflection and introspection- This part in my opinion is the most challenging because it gives you the space to see everything from a different perspective. Permit yourself to see your possible fault in the matter. Most betrayals happen when proper boundaries are not set and when expectations are set high. What could you have done better to protect yourself? What did you learn and how can you implement it in your everyday life or the next circumstance?
