Reviving this one from a Facebook post I made three years ago on this day.

Big lesson for me this year, and for some reason I woke up thinking about it and feel compelled to share it. I must have had dreams relating to it, but I’m honestly not sure. Anyway, here you go.

Forgiveness is a funny thing…. It has very little to do with the other person and more to do with YOU accepting that they are an imperfect human being – because we are all imperfect. Waiting for an apology is never gonna get you anywhere, especially if the person is clueless as to what they’ve really done and how deeply they have hurt you or others.

I have realized that true forgiveness doesn’t hinge on the actions or inactions of another. It’s all based on your own state of mind and heart. Sometimes forgiving someone is what allows you to finally let them (or the situation) go. They don’t have to apologize or change in order for you to be okay. You just have to forgive with all your heart and let them figure their own stuff out.

Just as important: forgiveness does not mean going back to the way things were or allowing a hurtful person or situation to steal your joy ever again. It is simply a shift and widening of perspective, and it is most certainly a release of anger. No hugs or words are necessary. No big, dramatic moment of closure. Just let go.

Forgiveness changes everything. Forgiveness lifts the burden of anger. Forgiveness frees space for happiness. For real, guys.