Forgive4achange

Too many times, we get the idea that forgiving negates responsibility. When you realize forgiveness and protection are separate and mutually exclusive, it helps you forgive.

You can learn to forgive and still be protected when you adjust the meanings you've associated with forgiving to include that protection. Releasing your resentment gives you the clarity to take preemptive action, not punishment or revenge. If you're like the rest of us, your sense of well-being has been knocked off balance, and you're seeking to get your balance back.

You're concerned that if you forgive, everything will be "brushed under the rug," and they'll remain unrepentant and do it again. You can separate letting your pain go through releasing your resentment from being responsible for doing something about it. Separating the two will free you to take responsibility for your own healing without their participation.

When forgiving, it's important to make a distinction between forgiving and responsibility. Also, applying the same definition of forgiveness to all situations generates confusion. It's correct at times, to remember peoples' actions. Many actions aren't forgettable. It's always appropriate to forgive others in the sense of letting go of our resentment toward them. Using this definition frees our insides from being tormented.