Connie Jimenez: On Forgiveness

“It’s difficult [to forgive], especially when the other person doesn’t deserve your forgiveness or doesn’t even seek it. It’s difficult when the other person is clearly in the wrong.
Part of the difficulty comes from the common misunderstanding of forgiveness.

Forgiveness DOESN’T MEAN that the other person’s behavior is okay. And forgiveness doesn’t mean that the other person is off the hook. He’s still responsible for his misbehavior.

Forgiveness is about letting yourself off the emotional hook. It’s about releasing your negative emotions, attitudes, and behaviors. It’s about letting go of the past so you can go forward to the future. 

Everyone in your life, everyone on and off the job is going to disappoint you. If you know how to respond to those situations, you’ll be way ahead of most people. You’ll be able to LIVE ABOVE AND BEYOND your circumstances. “

-Connie Jimenez, from her article “Letting Go” written in Small Talk December 11-17, 2003