Forgiveness.
The word “forgive” is defined as “ to stop feeling angry or resentful toward (someone) for an offense, flaw, or mistake.”
This is my topic for today’s article. Forgiveness can be hard and tricky; such as life. But if you stay true to yourself you can navigate any storm. We do not realize how cruel we are to ourselves most of the time. Most people are so quick to forgive others but we don’t even look at forgiving ourselves. Or they are so quick to forgive themselves that they will not excuse the faults of others. Learning to forgive is giving yourself a chance to grow and see things from others perspective; both of which are necessary to prosper in life. You can’t prosper if you’re not growing as a person.
I know that forgiving myself for making mistakes is something I am still learning. We often excuse others from the mistakes they make but we bash ourselves and tear ourselves down for any faults we have. It is OKAY to make mistakes; and it is okay to be upset with yourself sometimes. It is natural to have self doubt and to worry. Being disappointed in yourself goes to show that you know you are capable of more than you think you are. Sometimes when i’m really angry or upset with myself I sit and reflect with about why I’m feeling that way. I have come to recognize that it is usually because I expect so much more out of myself and that I know I can do better.
College has been a time where I had to learn to be patient with my feelings. You go through so many changes in college and experience new environments so there’s a lot of new feelings. I remember getting a bad grade on a chem exam freshman year and it broke my heart. I was so disappointed in myself and I started bashing myself everytime I made a bad grade. It took me along time freshman year to forgive myself when I did not do as well as I expected to on grades. I’ve taught myself that it’s okay to make mistakes because they honestly serve as lessons. Whenever I did bad on a test or assignment that taught me that I should learn the material more, or try studying a different way.
Forgiving other people is also important. We are only human and I think people forget that sometimes. Someone may do something to us that hurts us and we feel like we can never forgive them. No one is perfect and we slip up sometimes. Think of a time where you did someone you care about wrong because you felt there was no other way to handle the situation. Did you purposely intend to hurt that person? Probably not, and sometimes your loved ones will find themselves in the same situations and they act according to what is best for them; and you have to respect that and forgive people. We are all still learning. Holding grudges does not take us further in life and it does nothing to fix situations. I find that when you forgive other people, it serves justice to yourself. Being the bigger person makes you a better person, and it gives you a chance to show the world that you won’t let the world turn you into a bitter person. Don’t be angry, be peaceful. Do not let the actions of others have such an effect on you. Do not take everything that happens so personal. Imagine if you let everything people did have an effect on you.. That would be draining. Step back and be at peace with yourself. Tell yourself “I am forgiving and I will not hold grudges about things that are not that serious. I will act out of love and forgive this person for messing up. I will not let outside situations disturb my peace.” Let’s spread more love and stop spreading hate. The world has enough of that, don’t you think?
Peace and Love always,
Simone.