The process of forgiving is one of the most difficult “emotional-spiritual learning tasks” that we encounter. And unfortunately, we all have plenty of opportunities to “grow into” this learning task! Indeed, for us humans, forgiveness can be a long a PROCESS. Even though the process has distinct phases, it is not a linear experience at all. It takes TIME and one MUST go through the phases of experiencing and naming a variety of feelings as one relates to the “wound.”. In going through the grief that precedes forgiveness , the “wound” is brought to consciousness, processed and “digested”-what is not needed for the person to heal will be eliminated. Healing and forgiveness go hand in hand.
Forgiveness toward ourselves is connected to how we forgive others-
When we forgive, we do not condone someones “bad behavior” or even our own “bad behavior.” Forgiveness does not necessarily lead to trust. It is a way of unburdening ourselves of resentment, bitterness and negative anger. These painful feelings embody the experience of depression which is known to cause all sorts of other physical illnesses and relational dysfunctions. For our optimal emotional and physical health, the emotional-spiritual process of forgiveness is mandatory.
In order to forgive, we need compassion. We are all “broken” and we all make lots of errors along our way! Forgiving leads to healing. Let’s start today to be compassionate to ourselves as we travel along our life journey. No more judgements and self-shaming…come work with the Denim ‘n Dirt team…We can help.
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