10 Forgiveness Quotes to Help You Heal

Forgiveness is universal. At some point in all of our lives, we will need to learn how to forgive, as well as, be forgiven. It is not an easy task sometimes. Some of us have a harder time than others forgiving. Some things are harder to forgive. But it can be a lot easier when we understand that forgiveness is for the forgiver. As we go through life, with time and a little luck, we can be better forgivers knowing that it truly can be a place of peace amidst hurt we have been put through.

I would like to share 10 of my favorite quotes regarding forgiveness if you are finding it difficult.

We grow when we can realize that the bad things that happen in our life are not only an important part of our journey, but essential. We can often hold a grudge when we feel someone has wronged us. When we can take a negative experience and turn it into a positive experience, we benefit even more. Much like a child in school, we are at our best when we are learning.

As humans, we sometimes fall into the trap of wanting to feel justified and vindicated. We sometimes want to make people feel how we feel if they did something to make us feel bad. Hopefully as we grow, we forgive more and seek revenge less. That is the very essence if what forgiveness is.

Not everyone you forgive will deserve forgiveness. Often, they won’t offer an apology. True freedom and peace comes when we forgive them anyway. If it is true (and I believe it is) that forgiveness is for the forgiver, do it for you.

Forgiving doesn't erase the past and no one can expect it to. It can and does help us heal and move forward. It is a conscious choice to move forward differently than you would if you decide to hold a grudge.

We can't truly love someone until we know their good and their bad. Unconditional love is when we love someone despite their shortcomings and failures. When we love unconditionally we also choose to love them although they have hurt or wronged us. To love unconditionally doesn't mean we repeatedly subject ourselves to abuse, but that wherever our relationship stands with someone, we have love in our heart towards them. It's easy to love when things are great so it's only natural that we really learn love through hardship.

We can’t control how people treat us or how they behave. We can only control ourselves and our reactions. If someone does something that hurts us, they can’t make us feel better, only we can do that. Forgiving and letting go can definitely help us with that, along with choosing to feel differently from there on out.

It takes a strong person to sincerely apologize for wrong they’ve done, but it also takes strength to forgive. It can be so easy to stay upset and hold a grudge, forgiving is hard at times so if we can genuinely accomplish it, thats a massive sign of strength.

The last thing we need to become is bitter and it happens to us so often as we get older and accumulate hurt throughout our lives. Don’t be victim. And by all means, don't view forgiveness as being weak.

We can sometimes fall into the belief that if we hold a grudge and stay angry at the people who have hurt us, we remain in control of something that was out of our control. But the truth is, we get power through forgiveness and our ability to let go. The person of event that hurt us no longer controls us. When we get hurt, we feel like we’re not in control.

I have written a couple of articles on parental estrangement so this particular quote really hit home for me. Forgiveness is choosing to let go of hurt feelings and grudges. However, forgiveness is not allowing yourself to be repeatedly disrespected or abused. This is important to know because when you cut ties with people that are not good for you, sometimes they will tell you that you need to forgive. What they don’t realize (perhaps they do but they’re trying to get what they want from you) is that forgiveness doesn’t mean a relationship will or should continue. It benefits the forgiver, not necessarily the forgiven.

I absolutely love Chicken Soup for the Soul books. I have read so many that I've lost count. Hearing people's inspirational stories just never gets old. If you're needing a little extra inspiration, I highly recommend Chicken Soup for the Soul The Power of Forgiveness.

Please share them with us! There is nothing more inspiring than hearing stories from people who have forgiven and either moved forward to build stronger, better relationship or let go completely.

Than you for reading!