Forgiveness: A Path to Personal Wholeness
Forgiveness is often misunderstood. To many, it suggests “letting someone off the hook,” excusing harmful behavior, or forcing oneself to “move on” before the pain is healed. But true forgiveness – at its deepest level – is not about the other person. It’s about freeing your mind and emotions and reclaiming your own wholeness. It’s about not letting other people, situations, or personal mistakes “live rent-free in your mind.”
Whether the incident(s) occurred in your professional or personal life, the feeling of harm pervades everything else in that sphere and might even be so strong that it repels people from your negativity.
In truth, sometimes we, ourselves, are repelled by our own negativity. Consequently, it is wise and a wonderful thing to be able to free ourselves from inner turmoil.
Happily, there are many ways to approach it, and I’ll mention just a couple at the end, starting with questions you can ask yourself to begin, first, to be WILLING to let go.
In short, to forgive is to release the weight of resentment, guilt, shame, or bitterness that anchors us to suffering. It does not mean condoning harm or denying that people should be held responsible for their words and actions. Instead, forgiveness breaks the cycle of re-injury – the inner loop where past pain becomes present tension, emotional dis-ease, and even physical illness.
What Is Forgiveness?
Forgiveness is the conscious decision to release oneself from the energetic grip of harm – whether that harm was committed by others, by circumstances, or by oneself.
It is both a healing act and a moral gesture.
It restores inner freedom. When you can release your mind from constantly revisiting trauma, anger, and fear, it unhooks your nervous system from constantly responding to a threat response of fight, flight, or freeze.
It allows the soul to re-enter the body more fully, no longer evicted by trauma or regret.
The Mind-Body Connection: How Forgiveness Heals
Modern neuroscience and ancient wisdom agree: unresolved emotional pain lives in the body. Anger, betrayal, and shame often lodge themselves in the chest, gut, throat, or joints. Over time, the burden of “unforgiven” experience can show up as:
- Chronic muscle tension
- Sleep disturbances
- Autoimmune flare-ups
- Headaches or fatigue
- Postural collapse or pain
Forgiveness must be authentic and not “performative,” meaning a person “goes through the motions” because they think forgiveness is what they are supposed to do, but they don’t really forgive in the depths of their heart. When the act is authentic, it often coincides with a physical release, such as a deep breath, a softening of the shoulders, or tears falling without resistance. These are not coincidences; they are markers of energetic unburdening.
Forgiveness as an Ethical and Soul-Level Practice
- Forgiveness is an alignment with truth, not a denial of it.
- It does not erase memory, but it rewrites meaning.
- It does not give power to the harm—it restores power to the self.
From a soul perspective, every moment of forgiveness becomes a clearing in the karmic field – a chance to evolve beyond reaction and into conscious choice.
Three Levels of Forgiveness
To forgive fully often means addressing it on multiple levels:
- Forgiving Others – Releasing our attachment to what someone should have done, and what we needed that they could not give.
- Forgiving Life – Accepting the reality of grief, disappointment, and tragedy without needing an explanation.
- Forgiving Ourselves – Letting go of the harsh judgment or shame we carry for not knowing then what we know now.
Journal Prompts May Help You Begin the Process
Try reflecting on these questions to open your inner dialogue with forgiveness:
- What part of me is still carrying pain that belongs in the past?
- Is there a story I am repeating that no longer serves my healing or my personal growth?
- Who do I become if I release this burden?
- What would forgiveness feel like in my body right now?
- Am I ready to live free of this weight, even if the person who caused it never changes?
A Final Reflection on Forgiveness
Forgiveness is not a one-time act. It is a practice—a returning. Some wounds require layers of forgiveness, renewed over time as we grow stronger and clearer.
“Because at its heart, forgiveness is not about forgetting what happened.
It’s about remembering who you are, beyond what happened.”
It’s okay if you’re not ready. Forgiveness is not something to force. But it is something to keep on the horizon.
DON’T WAIT TOO LONG TO LET IT GO! Do it soon and do it as often as necessary!
That remembrance? That is the beginning of freedom.
If you’d like to talk about how to reframe your thoughts and emotions, I can describe several options, ranging from the use of the Emotional Freedom Technique (“Tapping”), to Hypnotherapy and HypnoMeditations, to Neurolinguistic Programming, and even some classes or more esoteric (philosophical or holistic healing) approaches. See my offer for a free chat below.
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If you’d like to learn more or share your thoughts, feel free to send a question or comment using the contact form below. Also, you are welcome to request a Sip & Share Session on Zoom with me. The first one is FREE and lasts up to 30 minutes while we discuss your needs or project and my services. It is NOT a high-pressure sales pitch. It is an exploration of how we may help each other.
DISCLAIMER: Neither I nor this website makes any claims about prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or cure for physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual illnesses or symptoms. This content is for informational and educational purposes and does not provide individual medical advice. Contact your health provider about your situation.
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