The Kleva Chatroom Series

Eunice Ansah-Agyeman

Forgiveness

Today we are looking at forgiveness.

The presentation will centre around:

What forgiveness is!

Why Forgive!

When to forgive and

How to go about it!

“To err is human; to forgive, divine.”

This quote is probably the most well-known in man’s history.

As we go through life, situations or events happen that leave us hurt, in pain, broken and very unhappy.

You may be hurt by a lover, a spouse, a colleague, a parent, a sibling and many others.

Since we are all imperfect, these things are bound to happen whether intentionally or otherwise.

And the only way we can safely move on and be happy is to FORGIVE.

What is forgiveness?

Psychologists generally define forgiveness as a conscious or deliberate decision to let go of feelings of bitterness or revenge toward a person or group of persons who have hurt you either intentionally or not.

Forgiving a wrong does NOT mean that:

1. you forget the wrong done or
2. you are condoning the wrong or
3. you are making excuses for the person who wronged you or
4. you are weak or
5. you are a fool
   

Why Forgive

Forgiveness gives benefits, especially to the victim.

1. It gives you peace of mind
2. It helps you to move on
3. Helps you get rid of corrosive anger which can lead to health problems
4. It helps us grow
5. Helps us regain our own power and happiness

When should we forgive?

This depends solely on an individual basis. But what you need to keep in mind is that holding on to wrongdoing will affect your future.

There are only two choices here…be bitter and risk your mental, physical and spiritual health for as long as you live or let go for a chance at a future of bliss.

How do you go about forgiving a wrong?

1. Take time to process the pain
2. Ask questions you need answers to
3. Talk about how you feel to the person who hurt you
4. Communicate your decision to forgive
5. Set new boundaries or expectations

What do you do if you are finding it hard to forgive?

1. Talk to a close friend.
2. You can also talk to an elderly person
3. Put yourself in the person’s shoes to decide how you would expect to be treated under the same circumstances.
4. You can also opt to talk to a psychologist, counsellor or any other professional for advice.

Have questions? Need to talk to someone?

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