How to Develop a Forgiving Spirit

Not being able to forgive can eat away at you for years on end. Forgiving someone is something you do for your OWN health--not for anyone else's. When you keep all the negative energy inside and let it fester, it can damage your health. Sometimes we need to pray to a higher power for the inner strength needed to achieve forgiveness and move on in life. Forgiveness has nothing to do with reconciliation and everything to do with finding the peace and understanding that come with a halt to blaming the one who hurt you.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pen
• Matches

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Instructions

• 1

  Write down the name of the person you want to forgive and how they wronged you.

• 2

  Write down how you now feel about what happened and all the emotions you felt at the time of the incident.

• 3

  Write: "I accept and own these emotions. I am in control of them. No one can make me feel any emotions I don't want to feel. I can choose to let these emotions go whenever I please."

• 4

  Light the piece of paper on fire with a match. Burning is a symbol of releasing your anger.

• 5

  Pray with all your heart that something good happens to the person you are forgiving.

• 6

  Pray for God or your higher power to change your heart.

• 7

  Write a letter to the person who wronged you. In it, express your honest feelings, and then forgive the person at the end of the letter. DO NOT give or send this letter to the person. You can burn it also.

• 8

  Remember something good the person who wronged you has done. This will help you remember that this person is capable of goodness.

• 9

  Get wise counsel. Sometimes another opinion may help you forgive.

• 10

  Learn to live your life with a focus on the beauty, love and kindness around you.