This article will share why forgiveness is important. The word “forgiveness” is derived from the Latin term ‘forgive’ which means “to give up”. Forgiveness is a personal decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance against another person for some perceived offense, difference, or mistake. It also refers to situations in which forgiveness is granted after an apology. Some have argued that forgiveness is a function of empathy and the capacity to understand another person’s perspective.
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15 Benefits Of Forgiveness For Our Soul
Forgiveness is a personal choice that has nothing to do with the offending party. Even if that individual makes no attempts to apologize, an apology from the offender will not be enough for forgiveness. However, it may help foster peace and comfort as well as enhance one’s health and well-being.
Listed below are fifteen reasons why forgiveness is important:
1. Forgiveness Reduces Stress & Negative Emotions
It’s been proven in research that practicing forgiveness can reduce blood pressure and cortisol levels significantly. Also, those who exercise forgiveness have a greater sense of purpose in life than those who don’t.
In addition, more forgiving people tended to have greater feelings of purpose within their lives than others who displayed vengeful attitudes.
2. Forgiveness Promotes Inner Peace
Forgiveness helps people to experience inner peace, which can have benefits for mental and physical health.
According to one study, forgiveness helps by reducing anger and rumination about past events. Forgiveness can also reduce the risk of depression, anxiety, stress, and chronic pain. It has been shown that practicing forgiveness can enhance one’s sense of gratitude as well as foster greater levels of happiness within oneself.
3. Forgiveness May Save Your Relationship
People who are experiencing interpersonal difficulties because of an offense can restore their relationships if they choose to forgive their offenders. This approach will promote the restoration of the relationship rather than serve as a temporary fix. By choosing forgiveness, couples can begin working together again for the good of their family unit.
4. Forgiveness Promotes Physical Health
According to studies conducted by Professor Robert Enright at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, forgiving improves mental and physical health, moods and helps people live longer. In one study which included 30 men with high blood pressure, those who forgave were shown to improve their health over three months after the forgiveness intervention. The participants in this study practiced seven exercises that would help them forgive another person. These activities include writing a letter, visualizing a real or imagined meeting with an offender, and practicing self-forgiveness.
Related Video – How To Forgive
5. Forgiveness Can Lead To Spiritual Growth
In some religious traditions, people believe that unforgiveness is sinful because it stops us from being able to grow spiritually. If we do not learn how to forgive others when they have caused harm, then it’s believed that we will never be of forgiving ourselves for our wrongdoings.
6. Forgiveness Can Help Decrease Stress
Researchers found that people who forgive others experience less psychological distress than those who continue to hold grudges against their offenders. This is true for both minor and major offenses including work-based relationships, friendships, and intimate partner issues.
7. Forgiveness Can Help Build Self-Esteem
When an individual becomes capable of forgiving, they find it easier to let go of the past and move forward in life with a sense of inner contentment. Forgiving oneself is especially important according to experts who say that people who are unable to forgive themselves for their wrongdoings may suffer from low self-worth.
8. Forgiveness Can Help You Let Go Of Anger
Many of us hold on to feelings of anger toward individuals who have hurt or offended us because we think that by not doing so, they’ll continue to negatively affect our lives. When we’re holding onto negative emotions such as anger and hatred for those who have wronged us, it becomes difficult for us to find happiness which is why forgiveness is important. The process of forgiving others starts with being able to forgive yourself first before being able to do so for others even if they haven’t asked for your forgiveness.
9. Forgiveness Can Help You Trust People
Research has found that those who are capable of forgiving others are better able to let go of the past and create more positive relationships with others. This is often because they focus their energy on moving forward instead of wasting it dwelling on everything that’s happened in the past. Studies show that victims of domestic violence and sexual assault often stay in an abusive relationship because they’re unable to forgive their partner for their past wrongdoings.
10. Forgiveness Can Boost Your Career
If you want to forge a successful work-based relationship or advance your career, then forgiveness is key. Without forgiveness, workers find themselves consumed with negative emotions which makes them unable to work well with others or meet their deadlines. The more you think about them, the less able you are to move forward in your life.
11. Forgiveness Can Help You Stop Worrying
Forgiving someone may sound counterproductive but studies show that if done right, it can reduce an individual’s stress levels. When we hold onto any resentment, it puts our minds into a state of panic. We also tend to spend time wishing they would apologize for insulting us which makes it even harder for us to forgive them. However, when we begin forgiving those who have hurt us, we naturally let go of negative feelings consuming us.
12. Forgiveness Can Help You Maintain A Positive Image
Research shows that by being capable of forgiving someone, we’re better able to take control of our own lives and emotions. Without forgiveness, many people find themselves living a life full of stress and anxiety instead of being happy. When we refuse to forgive someone who has offended us, not only do they begin to take over our thoughts but they also affect how we act around others because we aren’t able to forget about their past transgressions.
13. Forgiveness Can Help You Feel More In Control
Forgiving another individual helps in taking back your control. When we refuse to forgive those who have hurt us, it’s as if they’re still in control of our emotions and how we act. If you trust yourself enough not to let someone take over your life again, why continue stressing about something they may or may not do?
14. Forgiveness Can Make You A Stronger Person
Holding onto hatred and anger is like poison, it consumes every part of your body until you’re no longer able to function properly. The more we choose not to forgive, the more we’re harming our bodies and souls.
15. Forgiveness Can Give You A Better Perspective On Life
Without forgiveness, we’re unable to think about anything else and instead focus on the negatives. When we make a conscious decision to forgive someone, we naturally think about how we can move forward in our lives and leave the past behind us forever.
Importance Of Forgiveness – Conclusion
Know you might have understood why forgiveness is important. Without forgiveness, many people find themselves stuck in one place unable to move on with their lives. While it’s nearly impossible to forget what someone has done, forgiveness allows you to let go of the negative feelings so that you can live your life without being consumed by anger and resentment.