Forgive forget and be free

how to forgive those who have hurt you, take charge of your life and move on.

If you haven't forgiven your parents, you haven't left home. - Anon

No matter how you feel about it, as an adult you are totally responsible for the way you respond to everything that happens. Thinking otherwise just keeps you stuck in a victim pattern. Confidence and inner peace will only be yours when you stop blaming and practise forgiveness.

Who is there to forgive? Anyone whom you have ever blamed for how your life has turned out including, of course, your parents or guardians. After all, they had parents too! They were products of their own conditioning. They too may have suffered from low self-esteem or been under stress, and if they hurt you it was probably because they didn't know any better.

Besides, forgiveness doesn't mean condoning what was done, only that you are willing to live with whatever happened. And whether the perpetrators deserve to be forgiven is irrelevant; they may be completely culpable. But you don't do it for them. You do it for yourself. You're only hurting yourself by hanging on to the bitterness and resentment you've been carrying around with you.

Forgiveness is not necessarily easy, but is absolutely essential if you are to grow in maturity, self-esteem and confidence. It's how you set yourself free.