Working on the Seemingly Impossible

Sources: Wikipedia, LDS.org

"Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, difference or mistake, and/or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness as 'to grant free pardon and to give up all claim on account of an offense or debt'.

The concept and benefits of forgiveness have been explored in religious thought, the social sciences and medicine. Forgiveness may be considered simply in terms of the person who forgives including forgiving themselves, in terms of the person forgiven and/or in terms of the relationship between the forgiver and the person forgiven. In some contexts, forgiveness may be granted without any expectation of restorative justice, and without any response on the part of the offender (for example, one may forgive a person who is incommunicado or dead). In practical terms, it may be necessary for the offender to offer some form of acknowledgment, apology, and/or restitution, or even just ask for forgiveness, in order for the wronged person to believe himself able to forgive.^[1]

Most world religions include teachings on the nature of forgiveness, and many of these teachings provide an underlying basis for many varying modern day traditions and practices of forgiveness. Some religious doctrines or philosophies place greater emphasis on the need for humans to find some sort of divine forgiveness for their own shortcomings, others place greater emphasis on the need for humans to practice forgiveness of one another, yet others make little or no distinction between human and/or divine forgiveness."

I know my own religion teaches us that we must forgive. For us to be the people we are supposed to be, forgiveness is not only mandatory but a key to us achieving our full potential and true happiness.

Forgiveness is, for lack of a better word, hard. I'm not talking about getting up with out hitting snooze hard or working out every day and avoiding that cupcake hard but really, genuinely, my life has been altered and I am horribly affected daily, how can I possibly forgive, hard.

I'm trying. I am. Some days its a little bit easier to grasp the possibility while all the rest its simply unfathomable. I saw this video and it inspired me. Its beautiful. Please take a look.

“When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.” --Catherine Ponder

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” --Mahatma Gandhi 

"Somehow forgiveness, with love and tolerance, accomplishes miracles that can happen in no other way." --Gordon B. Hinckley