Forgive for YOU!
The idea of forgiveness has been around since human beings have roamed this earth. It’s also a concept that was challenging for me to embrace personally in my youth. What I’ve come to learn is that forgiveness is for you not for them. Author Lewis B. Smedes said “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that prisoner was you”. Let’s talk about the 3 main benefits you will personally receive by forgiving.
Healing
The first step towards healing is forgiveness. Author and bishop T.D. Jakes stated “I think the first step is to understand that forgiveness does not exonerate the perpetrator. Forgiveness liberates the victim. It’s a gift you give yourself”. By releasing the resentment, anger and pain, you allow yourself a space to heal and get better. Imagine how much you can grow by taking that energy and working on yourself instead.
Strength
Taking extreme ownership of our thoughts, words and actions is one of the strongest things a person can do. When I want to be a victim my wife will remind me that “no one has the power to make you feel a certain way”. It’s true that we make the choice to allow someone to bother us but let’s be clear. It is a choice. The following quote by Mahatma Gandhi has inspired forgiveness for me several times through the years. “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong”.
Freedom
My favorite F word is freedom. The simple definition of freedom that I use is; the state of not being imprisoned. Nelson Mandela was wrongly imprisoned for 27 years in South Africa. Years later Mandela invited one of his former jailers to his Presidential inauguration, stating that he would never be able to truly leave his jail cell if he didn’t invite him. Mandela once stated “Forgiveness liberates the soul, it removes fear. That’s why it’s such a powerful weapon”.
To heal, to be strong and to be free is a pretty compelling reason to forgive. However, it is not an easy thing to do especially when we feel we have been wronged or our lives have been permanently altered negatively. What is far worse is allowing that moment or person to continue to alter your life. In the famous words of Desmond Tutu “Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning”. Give yourself that new beginning, you deserve to be free!
If you love a good podcast, check out my podcast “Let’s Go Win”. It’s a show with lively conversations providing tips on leadership, mindset, health, and everything you’ll need for success at work, at home, and in life! I’d love your opinion and a review!
JM Ryerson founded and sold 3 businesses and is now helping leadership teams do the same. He is an Author, Leadership & Performance Coach, International Speaker, and host of the Let’s Go Win podcast who has been building companies and leading sales teams for over 20 years. JM is the co-founder and CEO of Let’s Go Win whose mission is to increase leadership, enhance culture, and help teams achieve peak performance. JM’s great passions are inspiring people to live their best lives and become open to what life has in store for them. His ultimate goal is to give others the tools that will allow them to transcend their self-limiting beliefs. JM was raised in Montana and lives in Boca Raton, Florida with his wife Lisa and their two amazing boys.
