Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong

TRP Challenge 7: Forgive myself for my past mistakes, and forgive others for theirs

I am a sucker for a quote. Whether it is to inspire me, lift my mood, or help me get through a tough day, I often turn to pinterest to look over my countless boards filled with quotes. They allow me to focus on the job at hand & put into words the thoughts and feelings I sometimes can't express fully. One of my favourites is 'holding onto anger is like drinking poison & expecting the other person to die'. I find it fits a lot of situations, and really helps if someone is bugging you in anyway. It is also a life saver when you feel that red hot feeling as the anger or resentment starts to build up inside of you.

It is also one which I believe really fits with the way we should talk to and act to ourselves. It is so easy to focus on the past mistakes we have made, because as humans we are all ultimately flawed. No one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes these are done in a flurry of emotion which you regret as soon as they happen. Sometimes they are long and thought out, but after much deliberation you realise you made the wrong decision. I am guilty of making mistakes. I have done things in anger or heartache which I believe were wrong. I've said and done things which have hurt others. I've also had things done and said to me which really hurt me. But I am not alone, so has everybody else.

The challenge is in learning to accept your past, and the things which you have done. I am learning to not regret or feel guilty for what I have done in the past to myself or others. I no longer spend hours deliberating over something I said which I shouldn't have. I no longer stay up late at night worrying about the way I have treated & thought about myself in the past. I can not change any of that. I can only change what happens in the future and each action which I take from this moment forward. I have decided to forgive myself for the things which I have done as they have all made me into who I am today. I have also forgiven everything anyone has ever done to me, and learnt to let go of what once was.

Forgiving your past and looking to the future is the single most powerful thing you can do to change and shape your life. Even if you are going through hell, everything happens for a reason, and maybe the sadness & despair you are feeling now will allow you to fully appreciate happiness & joy in the future.

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