"Steps to Living a life of Forgiveness"
- Begin by letting go of your unforgiving stance.
- Admit that the events and feelings you are struggling with really happened.
- Admit that the past cannot be undone. After all, there is really no hope for a better yesterday.
- Recognize that you no longer need to depend on others, including your parents, for approval. When you realize your independence, you assume your rightful power, and you learn to be who you want to be regardless of the actions of others.
- Don't expect others to respond to your efforts to forgive.
- Release any unrealistic expectations of yourself.
- Accept others for who they are rather than who you want them to be.
- Be flexible about rules of conduct for yourself and others.
- Talk about issues as they come up.
As I reflect on my life in the last semester, I think that this was the ultimate lesson I was supposed to learn. It has been a really tough semester. I have made tough decisions, been pulled and stretched in every direction, and have learned a lot about growing up. I have had a lot of disappointments, hardships, and trials. But I have had a lot of blessings. I hope that I'll look back on this semester one day and realize why things happened the way they have happened for me. I feel like often times the hardest part about moving on, is learning how to forgive. Forgive for what could have been that wasn't, or how you feel life could have been, but it wasn't. I love the third bullet of this list, "Recognize that you no longer need to depend on others, including your parents, for approval. When you realize your independence, you assume your rightful power, and you learn to be who you want to be regardless of the actions of others." What a great lesson for me to learn. I recognize now that I am much too dependent on others for encouragement, and approval. It makes me sad to think that I had to learn this late in college life. Could have been helpful before.
As I see it though, it is so much better to just accept, move on, and try to find the joy in the journey. Sometimes, you just have to laugh and realize, it will one day be joyus to me because of the lessons learned through that trial. I pray I will be able to take the perspectives learned from this class, Mind/Body/Spirit health into my daily life.
Good luck to us all with Finals, and the holiday season fast approaching us!!!
