Forgiveness Practice
This guided practice walks you through the forgiveness exercise from Week 9. You’ll bring to mind a past hurt, name the expectation it broke, and give yourself a few moments with whatever feelings come up. Then, if you freely choose, you’ll practice forgiveness. It can be directed toward another person, the world, or yourself.
Before You Begin
Find a quiet place where you can sit comfortably for about ten minutes.
Choose something manageable, with a little emotional charge. Your most painful experience can wait.
Forgiveness is always a choice. If you’re not ready today, you can simply listen and notice what happens.
Not sure what to bring?
If something already comes to mind, start there. If not, these common expectations may help you find a hurt. They’re the kinds of beliefs that can quietly break when we’re hurt. Notice which ones carry a little charge for you.
About other people
That a parent would be loving and caring
That a partner would be faithful
That family would never purposely try to hurt you
That people would be honest and straightforward
That others would be kind, considerate, and polite
That others would treat you with respect
That others would play fair
That others would work as hard as you do
That your hard work or efforts to help would be valued
About the world
That the world would be stable and orderly
That you could predict what was going to happen
That you could know what others intended
About yourself
That you would always do the right thing
That you would always be kind and patient
That you could overcome any obstacle or solve any problem on your own
That you would never hurt someone you love
That you would have seen it coming
That you would be further along by now
You don’t need to find the perfect one. One that feels true enough for today is plenty.
Coming back to it
Forgiveness is something we return to. Use this recording whenever the memory resurfaces, as often as it’s helpful. Some days it may feel easier than others, and that’s part of the practice.
This practice is part of a psychoeducational skills group and isn’t a substitute for therapy. If it starts to feel like too much, pause the recording and come back another time.