True forgiveness helps the one doing the forgiving, not the one you are forgiving. ~ Kendall Sodorff
Just forgive! When I did it release me from pains and heartache. You may not forget it but you have forgiven him/her. ~ Lydia Mariano
Without forgiveness the poison of bitterness, anger and hate towards God or others will destroy you spiritually, emotionally, physically etc. ~ Magda Lena
One can’t afford to slowdown the self’s healing process, by hating the one who caused it. ~ Gerasimos Loukatos
Forgiveness is setting yourself free. I have learnt that and it is hard. Let the wind take it, its not yours. Don’t let other wrongfulness hinder you or own you emotionally. ~ Shelley Campbell
It can be difficult but the rewards of peace afterwards is well worth it. Trust me then after you’ve forgiven the hardest one the rest gets easier and easier. God will continue to bless you more and more. ~ Debra Matheson
Forgiveness is more for you than the person who hurt you. The release of the hurt when you can forgive is so overwhelming and powerful. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you allow that person back in, it just means you release them from the power of hurt they have over you. ~ Rose Cox
Forgiveness worth is priceless, yet it is handled so flippantly. It has the ability to mend friendships, restore trust and bind relationships and yet some refuse to give it away. What if we forgave more freely? Would more friendships be healed? Would more misunderstandings be resolved? Would trust once again be restored and bind a broken relationship? God gave forgiveness to us to give away, not to hoard. ~ Jill Newsom
Heartbreak and betrayal are some of the hardest acts to forgive, in my opinion. However, it is necessary, once you get to a place that you can genuinely forgive that person (I’m not quite there yet but will be one day) for yourself, not them. Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different. ~ Hilary Witt
If someone close to you betrays you, or the two of you have hurt each other, forgiving could just mean letting go even though you part ways forever. You dont stay in touch, but you get over the resentment or grudge that was left over after the hurt, the pain that heals with time. It could be a process that’s entirely yours without the participation of the one you’re forgiving. So it almost doesn’t matter whether or not the person has even asked for your forgiveness. You’re just allowing yourself to move on because resentment and grudges punish only the one who carries it. ~ Isaac Shamam
We usually hurt others because we hurt. Wouldn’t it be nice if our response, our defence mechanism wasn’t cruelty to others who hurt us, rather a response of love and understanding. In my case to just never discuss things when I’m angry, rather wait and think it through and respond calmly and honestly. Speaking in anger seems only to bring pain, misunderstanding and regret. I would much rather make someone feel good than contribute to their pain. ~ Mary Carvalho
Forgiveness does not mean condoning or agreeing with a horrendous act. It is a decision to no longer attack one’s self. Forgiveness is, quite simply, the decision to not suffer. To forgive is to make the decision to be happy, to let go of judgements, to stop hurting others and ourselves, and to stop recycling anger and fear. Forgiveness is the bridge to compassion, to inner peace and to a peaceful world. ~ Lisa Henderson
I always thought forgiveness meant I had to say to myself it was okay that the person hurt me. I don’t think it’s that at all any more. For a glimpse at the feeling of peace forgiveness can give, if you’re angry at a parent, find a baby or toddler photo of your parent. Ask questions of Aunts or Uncles if you don’t know what your parents life was like growing up. Wonder at the feelings that toddler would have growing up without a full set of life lessons from their parents, without gentle guidance or proper boundaries, without fairness or unconditional love. Without their emotional wounds ever being healed. Chances are, we’ve all hurt someone without planning to do so. Chances are, there’s a reason for our own behaviour. If we can find empathy, we will heal our own emotional wounds. We are still free to communicate our feelings and set boundaries for the person who caused us the pain, but the lesson helps to ensure our peace with the past and our control over our future and the future of our children because our pain also carries forth to them intensified. ~ Unknown