Journaling: Rewrite the Story of Harm

On forgiveness

“Forgiveness is, in part, a willingness to drop the narrative on a particular injustice, to stop telling ourselves over and over again the story of what happened, what this other person did, how we were injured, and all the rest of the upsetting things we remind ourselves in relation to this unforgivable-ness. It's a decision to let the past be what it was, to leave it as is, imperfect and not what we wish it had been.  Forgiveness means that we stop the shoulda, coulda, woulda beens and relinquish the idea that we can create a different (better) past.” Source.

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Journal Prompt:

  1. What is a story of injustice that you hold onto about yourself or another person that you need to release?

  2. How does holding onto this story allow you to keep a narrative of hurt and pain?

  3. Imagine yourself accepting the past as something that cannot be changed. Write the new narrative of this story with forgiveness as its end goal. What would the relationship look like? How would you feel? What could be possible?

Melinda Barbosa