5 Ways to Release Your Anger and Embrace Forgiveness

When somebody wrongs you can be hard to move on. It gets harder the closer you are to each other. The pain and anger is real, and it should be treated as such. Unfortunately, that pain and anger can fester, becoming even worse than the wrong originally done.

Learning to forgive the person who wronged you, and let go of the pain and anger will ultimately lead to healing. Embracing forgiveness in this way is hard. Don’t ever think it’s easy. However, it is achievable, and with the help of a qualified therapist it may be easier than you expect.

Forgive, Not Forget

Some people mistake forgiving with forgetting. They feel they could never forgive because the memory will never go away. They aren’t the same thing. Forgiving never means forgetting. In cases of extreme pain, it may be very important to remember. Remembering a person hurt you so you stay out of future relationships with them is important for instance, but you can still forgive them to allow your own internal healing to progress. Embrace forgiveness to promote healing, but know you don’t have to forget.

Live Now, and for the Future

Try to let go of the past and work toward the future. Often concentrating on what happened in the past prevents us from moving forward. Forgiving is moving forward, and requires coming to terms with the past.

Forgive Unconditionally

As hard as it is, you must forgive with no expectations. You must forgive for real. It must be with no reservations. It must stick even if nothing comes back. Even though we tell others when we forgive them, we do it for ourselves.

Start with Yourself

In a surprising number of cases a person will blame themselves for something that happened to them. If this is you, you must forgive yourself. You will struggle to forgive the other person involved until you have forgiven yourself.

Start Right Now

The only better time than the present to forgive someone is in the past. There is nothing to gain by waiting to forgive. It allows the pain and anger to fester longer, gives them power over your life longer, and delays your healing process. Choose to forgive now, and start working to make it real.

If you need a therapist in Hawaii to help you work through forgiving someone contact East-West Therapy for an appointment today.