I struggle with forgiveness. The more I’ve reflected on why, the more I realize it’s because I believe a lot of false ideas about forgiveness. ⠀ These false beliefs, or myths, about forgiveness really get in the way of working towards processing and healing. ⠀ Let’s explore some of these myths in detail: ⠀ 1. Forgiveness means you’re accepting what happened: forgiveness means acknowledging something happened to hurt you; but that doesn’t mean you condone or accept what happened. ⠀ 2. Forgiving means letting them back in your life: you can forgive someone without reconciling with them. Just because you’ve forgiven them, doesn’t mean they can enter back into your life. ⠀ 3. Forgiving someone because you think it makes you a good person: forgiveness is a personal choice, and choosing not to forgive doesn’t mean your cold or cruel. People aren’t entitled to your forgiveness. ⠀ 4. Forgiveness means you’ve forgotten the pain: you can remember and honour the painful experiences and rearrange the relationship to meet the new reality, and still forgive someone. You don’t have to forgive and forget. ⠀ 5. Forgiveness is instant: forgiveness is something that happens over time because we have to process all the different emotions and heal. ⠀ You don’t need to forgive anyone else for their benefit. Forgiveness is about you - and you choosing to no longer carry the emotional weight of someone else’s behaviour. Whenever you’re ready, forgiveness is your choice. ⠀ I’m still working on building a more forgiving mindset, and I hope this post helps you work on yours too! ⠀ I explore human emotional experiences to help people feel more empowered in their emotional health. To learn more, follow along @well.guide . . . #wellguide #selfsabotage #isthisselfsabotage #selfacceptance #letgoofthepast #selfdoubt #selfsabotagesucks #selfgrowthjourney #millennialwomen #happinesstips #anxietyawareness #anxietyrelief #anxiouslikeyou #anxietytips #anxietytools #therapytools #therapytips #anxietyhealing #anxietyhelper #anxietyhelp #stopselfsabotage #selfsufficiency #selfhelptools #selfhelptips #personaldevelopment #emotionalsafety #anxiousattachment #selfreliance #selfsoothing