“Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.”—Paul Boese
I write about forgiveness a lot because there is someone I can't forgive. I try, but I'm not 100% there yet. I've been working on it for what seems like forever. I may never get there, but I think I will. I know that I'm closer today than I was last year. So at least there is some progress.
I was reading this blog post on Positively Positive about how forgiveness sets YOU free. You don't do it to benefit the other person, rather to help yourself. It's a great perspective to take. The ability to unburden yourself is, ultimately,
The most common misconception about forgiveness is that two people are required for it to work. This is not true. You can forgive people who are no longer here, or with whom you no longer have contact. Forgiving is all about you. Deciding whether to hold anger or release it occurs in your mind. How do you want to feel? What do you want taking up space in your brain and body? It’s your choice. Forgiveness is not condoning the actions of the other party. It is not rolling over and giving up. It is not giving in or losing anything. Forgiveness frees YOU from resentment prison.
As the article notes, and I have found to be true, "Ultimately, forgiveness is for the forgiver."
