Articles
Forgiveness: Letting go of grudges and bitterness
What if I have to interact with the person who hurt me but I don't want to?
Content
What is forgiveness?
What are the benefits of forgiving someone?
Why is it so easy to hold a grudge?
What are the effects of holding a grudge?
How do I reach a state of forgiveness?
What happens if I can't forgive someone?
Does forgiveness guarantee reconciliation?
What if the person I'm forgiving doesn't change?
What if I'm the one who needs forgiveness?
How do I reach a state of forgiveness?
Forgiveness is a commitment to a personalized process of change. To move from suffering to forgiveness, you might:
- Recognize the value of forgiveness and how it can improve your life
- Identify what needs healing and who needs to be forgiven and for what
- Consider joining a support group or seeing a counselor
- Acknowledge your emotions about the harm done to you and how they affect your behavior, and work to release them
- Choose to forgive the person who's offended you
- Move away from your role as victim and release the control and power the offending person and situation have had in your life
As you let go of grudges, you'll no longer define your life by how you've been hurt. You might even find compassion and understanding.