Forgiveness is a topic that is often discussed, yet never truly understood. Often people think there is one specific roadmap to forgiveness. However, that is far from true. As a legendary and impeccably brilliant being by the name of Forest Gump once said, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

Despite the situation, forgiveness is the key to moving forward and elevating to the next level in life. There's never a specific way to forgive; a person must decipher their route to forgiving a loved one, a friend, or simply a random person who came across in a disrespectful manner. It is essential to understand that forgiveness is unique to each individual. While the input of others is important, ultimately how and when you choose to forgive a person is up to you. Some people choose to delete the person entirely from their life. Others may choose to simply stop emotionally investing in specific parts of that person but never leave them entirely. Both of which are completely acceptable. Because at the end of the day, who the hell cares what another person thinks you should do if you are not happy?

The art of wholeheartedly forgiving someone is not achieved overnight, but it is important to understand what type of person you are to truly discern what method is best for you. How you forgive is not important as long as you do it purely and genuinely. You can never truly elevate and receive the blessings meant for you if you are unable to let go of the resentment and hard feelings towards a specific person or situation.

So if you want to forgive the dead-beat parent who was not around when you needed them most, do it. If you want to befriend the hellaciously hypocritical ex that your mother can't stand, do it. Opinions are always welcomed but never needed. We may all be running the same race, but we must ensure we are doing whatever is necessary to find the strategy and pace that works for our unique path to forgiveness and elevation.