The Prosperity In Forgiveness

With our society focusing on higher and higher expectations, it's easy to lose sight of the benefits of forgiveness. Society tends to associate forgiveness with weakness, or a threat to one's wellbeing. But what do we stand to gain from forgiving someone who has wronged us?

The benefits of forgiveness are incalculable. They include:

1) Enhanced happiness, contentment, and health.

These are benefits that effective recovery from all addictions and dependencies can bring you, but forgiveness is an all-inclusive condition of being happy. So forgive a person and yourself, reap the rewards of being a happier human being.

2) More internal peace and strength.

Forgiveness provides us with relief from the anger that often gets associated with negative feelings towards others. If a person has wronged you in some way, there's no need to harbor bad feelings towards them. Simply forgive them for their mistake, acknowledge the wrongdoing and move forward in your life with a more open heart.

3) Strengthens relationships.

When forgiving someone, you are sharing the experience of being human with that person. We all make mistakes, and when we forgive someone, we're encouraging them to be more compassionate towards others and themselves. Forgiveness is one of the most intimate experiences that we can have with another person because it shows them that we care more about their well-being than our own hurt feelings.

4) Enhances self-esteem and self-efficacy.

Taking into consideration the amount of strain a situation involving an adversarial relationship can place on your psyche, it's easy to see how giving up the fight and taking responsibility for misdeeds or misunderstandings can alleviate that strain.

Likewise, forgiving someone and accepting their apology can very well boost your confidence. Self-confidence is a virtual commodity when it comes to successfully managing relationships. Consider the situations where you've been in the wrong at work or at home, or did something against your values in public. Whether for good or for bad, people around you tend to make decisions based on what they think of you. If upholding your integrity and maintaining the values that make up your personal code of conduct is important to you, this is one of the ways you can increase the value of your character in others' eyes

5) Creates unity among people from all walks of life, races, cultures and socioeconomic levels.

Forgiveness is a universal concept. It can be practiced by anyone, no matter what religion or political affiliation they might have. Remember that forgiveness is not about condoning a person's actions. It's about being able to move forward in life with an open heart and mind, and fostering tolerance for the flaws and imperfections of others are key aspects of this personal growth.

6) More happiness and peace throughout your day to day activities.

Forgiving someone who has wronged you creates space in your mind to concentrate on what really matters to you at the moment, instead of focusing on resentment for something that happened in the past. It's easy to see how resentment can weigh you down and make you forget that there's a whole world out there to explore, filled with things and people to do.

7) Respect from those around you.

When someone is courageous enough to let go of the past and move forward with an open mind, it sends out a positive message that encourages others around them to do the same. As these positive messages are shared throughout your social circles, more people will start feeling comfortable about letting go of their grudges so they can focus on giving love instead of hate. This attitude only reinforces itself as more people practice forgiveness towards each other.

8) A stronger connection with God or your higher power.

By practicing forgiveness, you are bringing yourself closer and closer to your source of guidance and inspiration. By removing the barriers that separate you from your higher power, you'll be in a position where you can meditate on higher purposes and have a more optimistic view of life. This will enable you to think more clearly and make decisions that are in alignment with the values that are important to you.

9) Better relationships with everyone around you.

When someone is practicing forgiveness and not letting their past experiences get in the way of living a better life, it's easier for them to connect with others who hold similar views. Forgiveness is a universal concept, and the earlier you begin practicing it, the more people you'll be able to connect with.

10) The ability to go from a victim mentality to an empowered state of mind.

When we enter into relationships with others, we let our guard down and give people too much power over us by allowing them to continue hurting our feelings. However, when we forgive someone for their mistakes or misdeeds, regardless of how major or minor they are, we leave ourselves open for positive growth. Forgiving someone means that you've grown as a person and that you're no longer stuck in old patterns that keep holding you back from living life the way you want to.

11) A deeper connection with the love of your life.

Think about the relationships you have with people who are closest to you, either friends or family members. Do they know that they can count on you on a daily basis and that you're always there for them? When you're practicing forgiveness towards those who wronged your loved ones, it sends out a message that you care about treating others with respect, compassion and love. This will only strengthen the connection between you and those around you.

12) A better understanding of yourself and your values in life.

When we forgive others, we move forward in life with an open mind which is essential to personal growth and self-discovery. Practicing forgiveness helps us understand what is important to us and how we want others to treat us. The more we practice forgiveness, the more we'll be able to follow the path that our heart feels is right for us.

13) Freedom from negative emotions such as resentment, hatred, anger, depression and fear.

When we look at the conditions of our world today and the events that have transpired throughout history, it's easy to see how these feelings can start building up inside of us. By practicing forgiveness towards those who wronged you or hurt you in any way possible, you are consciously deciding that you're tired of carrying all this negativity around with you every day. You're setting yourself free from the past, and this will bring you peace of mind in knowing that you've made a conscious effort to be a more loving person.

14) The feeling of being more in control of your life.

When we carry resentment and unforgiveness towards others around us, it's only a matter of time before they start to affect the way we think, feel and behave. We allow their hurtful words or actions to affect our relationships with others, our happiness and sense of self-worth to suffer. Practicing forgiveness helps you let go of those negative emotions and thoughts so you can get back in control of your life once again.

Conclusion:

Forgiveness is the ultimate lesson that we can learn to help those around us and ourselves grow. It's a personal growth that you can use in every aspect of life, no matter what challenges you're facing. Don't wait until things get so bad that you have no choice but to forgive someone, but start practicing forgiveness as soon as your heart feels ready. Start with small acts of letting go, and over time, forgiveness will become a habit that will spill over into every area of your life.

About the Author: Marissa Lee is a freelance writer who lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children.