Today’s Topic: Forgiveness. 

You probably have plans to gather with loved ones over the holiday season. These gatherings create memories, set traditions, and can also trigger strong positive and negative emotions. If you feel like a family member has been overly critical, or maybe you have that one relative who is rude, or maybe your feelings have been hurt, or maybe you even have deeply held resentment over the past; you could experience stress at these event.  Even though your intentions are to have happy holidays, these resentments sometimes get in the way. 

This could be your moment you decide to practice forgiveness. Forgiving doesn’t mean that you were never hurt, it just means that you decide to let go and release the grudge.

According to the Mayo clinic, there are several benefits to forgiving people.  “Letting go of grudges and bitterness can make way for happiness, health and peace. Forgiveness can lead to:

• Healthier relationships
• Greater spiritual and psychological well-being
• Less anxiety, stress and hostility
• Lower blood pressure
• Fewer symptoms of depression
• Stronger immune system
• Improved heart health
• Higher self-esteem”

You might be wondering how you can forgive someone when you really don’t feel like forgiving him or her. You may want to forgive, but every time you think about forgiving, you get angry about the situation. Try looking at forgiveness as something you do to set yourself free. The bitterness and the grudges don’t hurt the other person, they hurt you. Often times the other person doesn’t even know about your hurt feelings. You don’t even need to say, “I forgive you.” to the person. You can say it when you are alone. The most important part of this process is letting go. You can even say a prayer, “Please God help me to be willing to forgive.”

I mentioned the benefits of forgiveness in the paragraph above, but there are also negative implications for continuing to hold grudges. Your well-being suffers when you don’t practice forgiveness.

Brighten your holidays this season by practicing forgiveness. Notice how light and free you feel.

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Note: Today is Day 9 of 12 Days of Christmas on my blog. This has become an annual tradition and I love doing it. Each day, now through Dec 17, I will feature an article that will help you celebrate the season, achieve your goals, and maintain your inner peace. On December 23, I will be announcing a $50 Amazon gift card winner based on all of the comments on the blog between Dec 5 and Dec 17. You will be entered one time for each comment. You could be entered in the drawing up to 12 times.

I would love to hear your thoughts, please comment below.

In Happiness,

Sheri Kaye Hoff

Coach, Trainer, and Author, Sheri Kaye Hoff, is a Business Coach known for inspiring massive action and a catalyst for personal and business growth, joy, and profits in a way that is fun, relaxing, and fulfilling, Sheri inspires people to do the work they love and make more money. Sheri helps business owners and professionals to relax into success. She uses both spiritual and practical techniques to obliterate blocks and create dramatic change. She is a business, leadership, happiness, and inner game expert. She has overcome nearly dying, and the loss of her brother at an early age. She has made it her life mission to discover the keys to happiness and success and then share them with her clients and community. Learn More About Sheri