How to Forgive Yourself | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

Forgiveness Is One Of The Hardest Things To Give To Yourself

Most people find it hard to forgive other people. It's even harder to forgive yourself.

56
Woman sitting on dock

Forgiveness is an action that many struggle with. Because it's not just an action or something that you physically do. Forgiveness is very mental and emotional. It's a release of pent-up feelings, and thoughts that you may have held on to for too long.

One thing that amazes me about children is the quickness with which they forgive. Children rarely harbor resentment or are able to be upset with someone for longer than a small amount of time. However, as we get older, we tend to forgive less and less. Because our trust has been diminished. Our generation is not especially trusting. We would rather cut someone off, or block them, maybe send a terrible message.

But, what happens when the person that you have to forgive is yourself? This makes things infinitely harder. You can't exactly cut yourself off or block yourself. This is where the problem comes in.

As human beings, we are not perfect. A lot of us struggle with coming to terms with this. Not even that, but we struggle with acknowledging the fact that the mistakes we do make are OK. It's easier to place blame on ourselves, to berate ourselves, to be angry.

But, that's not OK.

Forgiving yourself is a journey, because of that fact that a lot of times, we must realize that we have to. It's kind of hard to notice that calling yourself stupid is the result of a mistake from years ago. Then acknowledging that you haven't let it go? You should be over this!

It's OK if you aren't.

But, if there's something that you need to forgive yourself for, do it. Recognize the mistake, take the steps necessary to give yourself the peace of mind that you deserve. You do. If you don't think you do, you do. You deserve your forgiveness. At the end of the day, you should treasure the respect and love that you have for yourself above anyone else's. That includes forgiving yourself.

So, do it. Forgive yourself. I promise that you'll be a better person because of it.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition

10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

188
How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

It’s that time of year again when college students live at the library all week, cramming for tests that they should have started studying for last month. Preparing to spend all day at the library takes much consideration and planning. Use these tips to help get you through the week while spending an excessive amount of time in a building that no one wants to be in.

Keep Reading...Show less
girl roommates
StableDiffusion

Where do we begin when we start talking about our roommates? You practically spend every moment with them, they become your second family and they deal with you at your best and at your absolute worst. They are there to make you laugh just a little harder, cry a little less and make each day a little better. We often forget to thank them for the little things that they do to make college even a tiny bit easier and more fun. This list of 26 things are what you should thank your roommates for right this minute and every day that you live with them.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

20 Thoughts While Studying For Finals

I may or may not be stressing right now.

1379
Thoughts While Studying For Finals
StableDiffusion


That time of the semester has arrived once again, finals. The worst week ever. Who thought it was a good idea for all your classes to have exams all in the same week? Definitely not me. Here's 20 thoughts you may have studying for finals.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Disney magic for New Year!

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

6406
Disney magic kingdom castle on new years
StableDiffusion

Disney movies are well known and very popular in today's world. Although many people appreciate the plot and the storyline, not many people appreciate the wisdom these characters possess. Every Disney movie has unique advice that can be applied to everyday life. Here are 11 Disney quotes to help start your New Year off right:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

40 Gift Ideas for the Indecisive

It's a time of love, family, memory-making, and gift-giving. But also a time of stressing over the perfect gift.

120525
Christmas gifts around a tree
StableDiffusion

It's officially December. There is less than a month of 2024, and I still feel like yesterday was summer. Now comes the merriest time of the year, the Christmas season.

Everyone has been waiting for this time of year since mid-October (which is way too early, in my opinion) or before. It's a time of love, family, memory-making, and gift-giving. A lot of times when I ask friends and family what they want, I get a lot of "I don't know" or "I don't care."

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments