SJennyAs with many other skills in life, practice makes perfect when it comes to forgiveness. That’s why something like this 30 Day Forgiveness Challenge works so well. Each day you’re reminded to think about and practice forgiveness. During the first few days, you may have found it difficult to stick to this new habit that you’re working on establishing. By now, I hope you’re finding it much easier. I can tell that people are opening the emails and reading the blogs.
Forgiving should start to become second nature to you and need little reminding.
If there are some areas of forgiveness that you are still struggling with or certain people you have a hard time forgiving, now is the time to work on that. Practice will help here as well. While your first inclination may be to ignore them and focus instead on those areas of forgiveness that you’ve gotten good at, I encourage you to work on the tough issues through the remainder of this challenge.
Imagine how much lighter you will feel! Be open to that possibility!
Use this opportunity to practice daily and get even better at forgetting and moving on. Think back on the first few days of this challenge. What tips and tools have you found helpful in the beginning of your forgiveness journey? If they worked then, they may come in handy now as well. For example, if you found writing a journal helpful, keep writing daily, but make an effort to include your challenges. If you found meditation and affirmations helpful, rewrite your affirmation to help with the new challenge and work through it in your meditations as well. Keep working at it, keep practicing, and you will overcome even the biggest of challenges. (Go back to day one of your journal and read a few weeks worth- any insights?)
Forgiveness isn’t always easy. Keep in mind that you’re doing this mainly for yourself. You need to find peace and closure to be able to move on. Forgiveness is the path to a happier life and it is often the things that are hardest to forgive that make the biggest impact in our life when we do. Remember that when you think it’s too hard, or even impossible to forgive. Keep your eye on the ball and use the tools you have and the support of your loved ones to keep trying and keep working at it.
As you practice forgiveness daily, you will get better at it. You will get stronger, kinder, and more forgiving. As a result you’ll become a better and more content person overall. If you ask me, that’s a goal worth striving towards. Keep practicing and don’t give up. You can do this!
