We have all experienced pain at some point in our lives, and if the pain was caused by another person, it can be difficult to move on and let go of the past.
But we must realize that anger and resentment hurt us more than anyone else, and to be truly happy, we must forgive.
Today I would like to share fifty powerful affirmations that can help you practice forgiveness — whether you need to forgive yourself, or someone else. At the end of the post you will also find a link to download the list of the affirmations.
Let’s first have a look at the definition of forgiveness, as well as how affirmations can help you condition your mind…
What is forgiveness?
Typically, when someone hurts us — consciously or unconsciously — our natural reaction is to hold a grudge against them. We feel very intense emotions: resentment, anger, and bitterness. This works well as a defence mechanism, but in terms of our mental health, it’s not what we should do as it causes unnecessary stress and anxiety.
When we forgive, on the other hand, we let go of all the negative emotions we feel toward a certain person or group of people; we decide to be stronger than our own unhelpful feelings, and simply move on.
The truth is that while anger can be a healthy emotion, prolonged feelings of resentment work against you. When you hold a grudge against someone, your mental health takes a toll. Your energy, vitality, and happiness decrease.
The act of forgiveness helps you go back to a calm state of mind, where you stop dwelling on what happened to you. You feel liberated from your own negative emotions; you no longer seek revenge, and you are able to focus all your energy on your own life.
Though forgiveness usually refers to forgiving others, it could also mean forgiving yourself. We all have made mistakes in the past, and no matter how embarrassed or ashamed we feel about ourselves, we need to let go. Self-forgiveness is an important skill, which is why some of the affirmations in this post are about letting go of your own past.
Because anger is a natural defence mechanism, the process of forgiveness can take time, and is not always easy. However the more you practice forgiveness, the more you will do it spontaneously; eventually, it will become part of your attitude. Here are three things you can do to forgive…
Write down what you feel. Sometimes the best way to release all the negative thoughts and emotions that have bottled up is to grab a piece of paper and note them down. The more you gain clarity on your feelings, and the fact that they don’t really help you grow — the easier it will be to let them go.
Develop empathy. It’s pretty hard to feel empathy for someone who did you wrong, right? Yet sometimes all you need to do is understand why the other person behaved that way. When you identify the root cause of their actions, you may even feel sorry for them.
Realize forgiveness improves your life. As we’ve seen, prolonged feelings of anger and unforgiveness will negatively affect your health. Though forgiveness may help the other person as well, you are the one who benefits from it the most. When you forgive, you are liberated.
The power of affirmations
While our rational brain is very good at distinguishing between true and false, real and imaginary, right and wrong — the subconscious part of our mind isn’t able to filter what it perceives; it absorbs images, words, and information regardless of whether we like them or not.
The good news is that we can take advantage of this “glitch” so we can reprogram our thoughts and feelings. When you practice affirmation daily, and with great intensity, you are telling your subconscious mind what it’s supposed to do; you give it direction.
If you find it difficult to forgive someone who hurt you, or even yourself, affirmations can be a powerful tool that can help you let go of your negative emotions. You can say them out loud, repeat them silently in your mind, or write them.
What’s important is that you use the affirmations on a regular basis, so you can condition your mind. You can practice some of these affirmations once, and feel better temporarily, however that’s not going to help you in the long term.
Affirmations for forgiveness
- As I move on, I feel liberated
- As I move on, I experience inner peace
- My heart has healed
- I let go of my negative emotions
- I am free from pain and suffering
- I am free from anger
- I allow myself to forgive
- Letting go is the best thing I can do
- I choose to move on
- I choose to focus on the present moment
- I am not afraid
- The past does not exist
- This is the beginning of a new life
- I create my destiny
- When I silence negative thoughts, I grow
- I am compassionate
- Forgiveness is a gift to myself and the world
- I am not the person that I used to be
- I go with the flow
- I embrace change
- I move forward in my life
- What happened so far has shaped my personality
- What happened so far has made me stronger
- I focus on what makes me happy
- I forgive myself and I forgive others
- I focus on the things that I want
- I don’t give in to darkness
- Perfection does not exist
- I let go of my expectations
- I let go of the need to control everything
- I let go of the past and embrace the future
- I love myself
- I am safe
- Every day is a new chance
- When I forgive, I am happier
- I choose love over hate
- My life is filled with joy
- All is well
- I have healed my wounds
- I am free from resentment
- I deserve peace of mind
- I deserve to be free
- I deserve to feel love
- The past does not define me
- The pain I experienced does not define me
- I can decide how I feel
- I attract positivity in my life
- We all make mistakes
- Love is more powerful than hate
- I am now the best version of myself
Thank you for reading this article! I hope these affirmations will help you let go of the past and be the happiest you have ever been. As promised, here is the link to download the list:
