Here's the thing about forgiveness: it takes time. At first we will be hurt— so hurt. Then, that hurt will turn into anger. It's inevitable. It may take days, weeks, or even years. But there comes a time when we realize holding onto our anger only makes us bitter. If we're bitter, we can't possibly move on and be happy. We could write down countless amounts of "good vibe" quotes and preach about how we're over it, but there's no way you can move forward until we learn to forgive. Forgive yourself. Forgive others. I can't promise you that as soon as you forgive, your life will flash with butterflies and rainbows. Forgiving someone is a process. It's not excusing or accepting what happened. It's realizing that it's time to let go.
Forgiveness means it's time to move forward and focus on things that matter. It can't undo the pain and it can't suddenly make you find peace. It's about understanding that the past happened. Nothing we do now will change what happened to us. Forgiveness is about acceptance. Accepting what was, and choosing to change what will be.
——Forgiving Myself——
This is me forgiving myself for ever thinking that for a minute I wasn't capable of being loved. I am strong. I am powerful. I am beautiful. I am capable of being loved.
This is me forgiving myself for sitting up at three in the morning questioning what went wrong when I could have been thinking about what was going right.
This is me forgiving myself for all those times I did spiteful things to try to make myself feel better. It only made things worse.
This is me forgiving myself for hurting someone's feelings because mine were hurt. I'm sorry.
This is me forgiving myself for dwelling on the "could have been's." Well, it didn't. Let it go.
This is me forgiving myself for putting others before me. I needed to work on me before I tried helping someone else.
This is me forgiving myself for the mean things I said. I was hurt.
This is me forgiving myself for trusting and confiding in some people that I shouldn't have. I know better for next time.
This is me forgiving myself for the things I didn't say. I wish I would have, but it no longer serves a purpose.
This is me forgiving myself for ever thinking I wasn't good enough. I know now that I am.
——Forgiving You——
This is me forgiving you for the broken promises. At the time, it all seemed like the right things. Now I know it's actions that matter, not words.
This is me forgiving you for the things you've said about me behind my back. You're hurt. I hope you can let go of that hurt.
This is me forgiving you for the mean things you said to me. I'd like to hope you didn't mean it.
This is me forgiving you for walking away. In you leaving, it helped me love myself more.
This is me forgiving you for everything. Every word, every action, and every pointless argument past to present— even if you're not sorry.
One thing I can promise: In forgiving yourself, you learn to forgive others. It's not that you want to be their friend, or are okay with what they did. It's about accepting that they left a mark on your heart that will always be there. It's about picking yourself up and realizing you need to keep going. What happened doesn't define who you are as a person.
"Forgiveness doesn't mean that you are giving up all of your power. Forgiveness means you're finally ready to take it back." -Heidi Priebe
