Forgive and Move on, Even if You May Never Forget.
Forgiveness is unconditional love. Period.
It takes a lot to put aside our differences with people, but often when we refuse to, the place this comes from isn’t a place of peace, it’s a place within the chaos of wondering if it makes us too weak to forgive and move on. Perhaps you’re even wondering what others will think of you if you stop being angry at yourself or this other person and forgive them.
Will people think you’re a coward or your word is less because you knew you were mad, then just decided to forgive them and move on? These are perfectly natural examples of self-talk, and you’re not a bad person for ever thinking that way.
Have you ever held a grudge? Or perhaps you just knew you were right about a disagreement, so you thought:
“Well, I’m not wrong, I’ll wait for them to talk to me or hell to freeze over, but I’m not going to be the one to apologize, and I sure as hell can’t just forgive them if they didn’t apologize!”
Of course you have, we all have.
See the thing is, it’s not about them, or the conflict, or worrying what everyone will think of you if you just drop what you’re holding on to and let it go, it’s about you moving on and finding peace so you can balance your heart chakra. Even if they didn’t apologize, forgive them.
If they do apologize, then you have an active choice to choose love, or hold it over their head when they’re trying to heal, just so you can have power over being mad at them. And if it’s about you forgiving yourself, then you’re simply getting in your own way of your own personal growth and healing, either way you look at it.
You don’t have to be friends again with everyone you forgive just to start the process of forgiveness either, it can be done merely with the interest of clearing your heart.
You see, when you hold a grudge, you’re holding on to a moment in time that’s passed, but it only continues to have any power if you give it power and choose to hold the grudge and choose not to forgive yourself or the person in question.
What’s more important? You moving on so you may find peace, or purposefully holding on to hate and resentment over something that’s passed, and consequently keeping feelings of resentment and negativity in your heart?
To be mindful of forgiveness is to choose mindfully and consciously not to hold the grudge in the first place, or simply to be mindful of not holding on to resentment. Let it go.
Consider the elephant animal totem. An elephant is said to never forget, but the elephant is also intelligent and wise. Knowing when to show its size and when to be humble about it. When we connect forgiveness to the elephant totem and its meaning, it reminds us to think things through before saying or acting on anything. Know when to speak your mind and when to listen.
Like the elephant, be patient and preserving.
Just because you may always remember what happened, doesn’t mean you can’t mindfully choose not to harbor grudges. You may never forget, but you can choose to forgive. So choose love. Forgiveness is universal love, and the ability to let go.
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Jordan Forget is a loving father, a healer, and a seeker of the Old Norse wisdom. He draws from his background in kinesiology and his reiki training to provide his clients with a path to healing and balance. He has dedicated himself to helping others through this holistic approach, and is committed to continuing on his own shamanic path. Through his practice, he aims to demystify the road to being healthy and whole, and strives to provide his clients with the tools and training to be the best possible version of themselves. You could contact him via Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Linktree or email.