Kris, you might be saying, I came here to listen to you chat about self love, not forgiveness. Stay on topic. To which I reply yeah I’m getting there, hang on. I once knew a man who hurt me very badly. He also hurt someone I was very close to. I’ve realized it’s time to forgive him, and through this process I’m realizing that it’s so much easier for me to forgive him for what he did to me, as opposed to what he did to the person I care about. It was the same scenario, the same ramifications--but I don’t know how to forgive him for hurting someone I love, despite already forgiving him for doing the same to me. Cue the epiphany. See, I’ve had the same message pop up everywhere I look this week: to have true compassion and forgiveness for others, you must have love for yourself. In this moment, standing in the shower and asking how I could possibly forgive him for what happened, I finally understood. If I truly love myself, then I recognize that I have the same amount of worth as every other person. I have the same worth as my loved one who was hurt, and the same worth as the person who hurt us.
It can also be super difficult to come to terms with. I have clinically-diagnosed PTSD. I was hurt as a young person by someone who was in a position of power over me. There are days when I struggle with the fact that I have as much worth as the people who have loved me. There are more frequent days when I fight with the fact that I have as much worth as the people who have hurt me. It’s becoming easier for me to accept it, but I still have times when I struggle. It is a journey to love yourself, but it is a worthwhile one.
I have not achieved this sort of self love, yet. It is easier for me to see greater worth in others than myself, and so I still struggle with true compassion and forgiveness. I can forgive some things but not others; my compassion is imperfect. This is okay. I am human, and I am okay where I am at. The thing is, I want more. I want to love more. I want to have a greater capacity for compassion and forgiveness. I want to be better so I can make the world better. I know that this journey to self love will bring me there. Like this post? Why not share it?See more adventures!If you liked this post, you may also like:
1 Comment
5/15/2022 09:27:55 pm
I very much appreciate it. Thank you for this excellent article. Keep posting!
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Hi, there! Call me Kris. I’m a world traveler, author and artist working to showcase the world's beauty and inspire you to find your confidence to see the world!
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