SJennyToday’s Journal Prompt: Do you have events/people that require your forgiveness so that you can free yourself but you are unwilling or unable to forgive at this time? Explain
Also, please take an inventory of your life and all the things that you feel would make your “I Need to Forgive This” List. Grab a cup of tea and dive in!
Let’s talk about forgiveness. To be a little more specific, let’s talk about what happens when you choose to ignore forgiveness, or you just plain can’t bring yourself to forgive and move on. I get it. There are times and situations where it’s hard to forgive. There are times when you just don’t want to forgive and you’re not ready to move on. And sometimes it’s ok to feel resentful and angry for a little while before you are ready to forgive.
The important part is that you get yourself in a state of mind where you can forgive. You don’t want to get stuck in a world of anger, resentment, and revenge. That’s not a healthy place to be and it can lead to all sorts of problems. Most importantly it prevents you from moving on to a place where you can feel happy and content again.
Ignoring Forgiveness Keeps You Stuck
It’s impossible to move on with your life when you are holding on to those feelings of resentment. The saddest part about being stuck when you ignore forgiveness is that chances are good that the other person has long moved on. They aren’t wasting another thought on what happened. They aren’t worried or feeling bad about it. They’ve probably forgotten all about it and moved on with their life. You on the other hand are stuck in a bad emotional place until you can find it in your heart to forgive. This right here is why forgiveness is really all about you and getting yourself unstuck.
Holding On To Anger Keeps Out Happiness
When you’re holding on to that anger, it’s hard to make room for more positive feelings. You know yourself that you can’t be happy and angry at the same time. Practicing forgiveness makes room in your heart to let the joy and happiness back in. If that’s not a great reason to make a serious effort to forgive, I don’t know what is.
It May Even Cause Depression
Last but not least, when you’re stuck in that dark place for too long, you may even end up depressed. Is holding on to a grudge worth risking depression? While there may be some other contributing factors when you do find yourself depressed, finding it in your heart to forgive can be very helpful. It allows you to move on and lift this burden from your chest. The freeing feeling you’ll notice when you choose to forgive will go a long way towards helping you feel better. Before long you’ll find yourself digging out of the whole depression creates and see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Please take this warning serious. Ignoring forgiveness doesn’t hurt anyone else more than it hurts you. Do yourself a favor and do what you need to do to forgive and move on to happier times.
