To forgive is to set a prisoner free! No one wants to be a prisoner.

The reality is that many of us are living our lives just like a prisoner serving a life sentence. We are trapped in the past, dwelling on the mistakes we have made, or the abuse others have done to us.

Do you recall the mental movie you have played over and over in your head? It only makes you feel bad, yet you just don’t seem to be able to stop it. So why do we torture ourselves like this? How do we set ourselves free once and for all? 

Ready for the answer? Forgiveness.

People have told me that they can’t forgive because somehow it makes what happened to them acceptable. Forgiveness does not mean what happened to you was ok, nor to forget about it. Indeed, not only do you remember what happened, but you also have the courage to process the feelings and body sensations that are associated with it. As a result of that, you are no longer a victim who is bonded with the perpetrator. “When you forgive, you in no way change the past, but you sure do change the future.”*

For those of you who can’t stop beating yourself up for your mistakes, practicing forgiveness will serve you as a reset button, and allow you to learn a lesson from them! Everyone makes mistakes, big and small. Yet ALL of us deserve to be forgiven, including yourself! The beauty of being a human being is that we have unlimited ability to improve ourselves! Without forgiveness, we will continue to get stuck at square one.

When you choose not to forgive, the anger and resentment become like venom, circulating in your body, day in and day out eating you up. Eventually, you will get very sick physically, mentally, or spiritually. Forgiveness is the first step in your mental detox.

For me, the most difficult thing to forgive was the sexual abuse that happened when I was a little girl. It took me many years to finally admit and process what had happened. I chose to forgive my perpetrators, not for them, but for me. What I realized is that forgiveness comes with an amazing sense of inner peace.

Do you want to live a life that is light and free? Forgiveness is the key. “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was me!”*

 *“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you!” ~ Lewis B Smedes

 *“When you forgive, you in no way change the past, but you sure do change the future.” ~ Bernard Meltzer

Read Step 2 Now:
3 Week Mental Detox! Week 2: Be Present