To truly forgive someone else, you need to do three things:

1. Distance yourself from the situation

Take a timeout. Stop engaging, change the scenery, go hang out with someone new. Give yourself a minute to physically take a break.

2. Look at the situation objectively

Hurt people hurt people. It’s not you, it’s them.

3. Don’t take someone else’s behavior personally

This is their problem and you’ve gotten swept up in it. But holding on to your resentment makes it your problem, too. Your responsibility is to yourself. Remember the pigeons? Acknowledge that it sucks and then keep driving.

People do things that hurt you, but with the exception of extreme circumstances, they’re not doing them TO hurt you.

In order not to harbor resentments and be able to move through life with ease, balance and grace, it’s important that you practice keeping your side of the street clean. Recognize how not forgiving the person(s) is impacting you and ready yourself to move out of this place of unforgiveness and into the opportunity that comes from letting go.

Download this week’s worksheet here!

Art by Emmy Smith, worksheet by Jess Meoni.