The Purpose of Forgiveness

Hello, Zennies! Today we want to talk to you about the power of forgiveness. Now, to be clear we are not advising you to maintain unhealthy, abusive, and toxic relationships. You don’t need those types of relationships and you should definitely let them go. If you find yourself having to forgive negative behavior by a friend or family member over and over again, then it’s pretty clear that such a person is not concerned with respecting you. You should not tolerate negative behavior as it is harmful to you. See, forgiveness does not involve ignoring harmful behavior. It actually requires the identification and acknowledgment of it. It also requires you to have enough self-awareness to recognize your participation in allowing the abusive behavior to continue and finally having the courage to dissolve a harmful relationship without wishing harm or ill will towards the person who hurt you. Forgiveness allows you to move forward without being consumed by the negativity that was inflicted upon you. It is making the decision to leave negative relationships and people alone. Forgiveness frees you.