Quotes & Sayings About Forgiving Yourself

When you forgive, you're not doing God a favor, you are giving yourself the gift of freedom. — Joyce Meyer

The thought that makes most people the weakest is shame, which produces humiliation. The importance of forgiving yourself cannot be stated strongly enough. If you carry around thoughts of shame about what you've done in the past, you're weakening yourself both physically and emotionally. Similarly, if you use a technique of shame and humiliation on anyone to get them to reform, you're going to create a weakened person who will never become empowered until those shameful and humiliating thoughts are removed. Removing your own thoughts of shame involves a willingness to let go, to see your past behaviors as lessons you had to learn, and to reconnect to your source through prayer and meditation. — Wayne W. Dyer

My problem stemmed from not forgiving myself. — Shannon A. Thompson

The reason to forgive ourselves is not because we feel like it or because we want to see ourselves as blameless but because we limit what we can receive from God when we hold on to our past. He wants to do so much more than we could ever imagine. Forgiving yourself starts with believing in God's incredible love for you and accepting His amazing grace and mercy. If God Almighty can forgive us who are we to hold on to what He has not only forgiven but forgotten — Sue Augustine

The two main hazards of psychoanalysis: that it might fail, and that if it succeeds, you'll never be able to forgive yourself for all those wasted years. — Mignon McLaughlin

Forgiving is one of the most difficult things for a human being to do, but I think it means looking at some slight you feel, putting yourself in the position of the other person, and wiping away any sort of resentment and antagonism you feel toward them. Then let that other person know that everything is perfectly friendly and normal between you. — Jimmy Carter

Forgiveness is really a gift to yourself - have the compassion to forgive others, and the courage to forgive yourself. — Mary Anne Radmacher

People spend thousands in therapy digging and digging in the past. When you dig and dig, you find relics. Try to forgive yourself and get back on that ride. — Richard Simmons

There's a beautiful forgiveness practice I love which is quite simple. It's called "Ho'oponopono" (pronounced: ho-o-pono-pono) and it's a lot easier to do than it is to say. It's a Kahuna Hawaiian technique, which involves repeating four phrases internally toward yourself or the person whom you're having a hard time forgiving. — Marci Shimoff

Forgive yourself for not being at peace. — Eckhart Tolle

Forgiving yourself and others gives your spirit freedom — Latorria Freeman

The narratives we create in order to justify our actions and choices become in so many ways who we are. They are the things we say back to ourselves to explain our complicated lives. Perhaps the reason you've not yet been able to forgive yourself is that you're still invested in your self-loathing. Perhaps not forgiving yourself is the flip side of your stealing-this-now cycle. Would you be a better or worse person if you forgave yourself for the bad things you did? If you perpetually condemn yourself for being a liar and a thief, does that make you good? — Cheryl Strayed

People can be more forgiving than you can imagine. But you have to forgive yourself. Let go of what's bitter and move on. — Bill Cosby

Forgiving yourself can prove as difficult as licking a scab off your elbow. — Richelle E. Goodrich

Never forget that to forgive yourself is to release trapped energy that could be doing good work in the world. — D. Patrick Miller

As you pray for forgiveness, you will find yourself forgiving others. As you thank God for His kindness, you will think of others, by name, who need your kindness. Again, that experience will surprise you every day, and over time it will change you. — Henry B. Eyring

the only trick of friendship, I think, is to find people who are better than you are - not smarter, not cooler, but kinder, and more generous, and more forgiving - and then to appreciate them for what they can teach you, and to try to listen to them when they tell you something about yourself, no matter how bad - or good - it might be, and to trust them, which is the hardest thing of all. — Hanya Yanagihara

You won't understand what I mean now, but someday you will: the only trick of friendship, I think, is to find people who are better than you are - not smarter, not cooler, but kinder, and more generous, and more forgiving - and then to appreciate them for what they can teach you, and to try to listen to them when they tell you something about yourself, no matter how bad - or good - it might be, and to trust them, which is the hardest thing of all. But the best, as well. — Hanya Yanagihara

Forgive yourself and forgive others around you. — Raven-Symone

I don't know whether it is any use forgiving people or not. Yes, it is, it makes you feel more comfortable yourself. — L.M. Montgomery

Yogi Bhajan shows us that a key to being the master of your own mind is to learn how to forgive yourself. So for today, just for one minute, practice forgiving yourself. — Gabrielle Bernstein

Forgive yourself for what you think you've done or not done. At every moment, you had your reasons for all of your actions and decisions. You've always done the best that you could do. Forgive yourself. — Doreen Virtue

Getting angry is like burning yourself with other people's fires. Let is stop by being kind and forgiving like water. — Debasish Mridha

Maybe it's just easier to hold onto resentment and bitterness.But when you hold onto them, you're imprisoning yourself, not the other person. Not forgiving is pretty heavy baggage to carry around. — Cathy Bryant

Forgive yourself and be ready to forgive yourself in the future. You're gonna screw up. It's okay. — David D. Burns

You can never forgive yourself without forgiving others. Forgive others to find and create peace in your soul. — Debasish Mridha

Beauty is an understanding of what you have, and it's forgiving yourself of what you don't have, and appreciating all of it. — Jill Scott

Love is daily admitting to yourself, your spouse, and God that you are not able to love this way without God's protecting, providing, forgiving, rescuing, and delivering grace. — Paul David Tripp

But not forgiving yourself often becomes the root of severe self-loathing extreme self hatred and intense inhibitions. It will be next to impossible to truly start over when you feel unforgivable. — Sue Augustine

Learn to forgive yourself and move on. — Helene D. Gayle

You deserve to live your best life now, so set yourself free by forgiving and letting go of that hurt you've been holding on to. — Jamie Larbi

The more you know yourself, the more you forgive yourself. — Confucius

The people who did you wrong or who didn't quite know how to show up, you forgive them. And forgiving them allows you to forgive yourself too. — Jane Fonda

Do we refuse to forgive? God, too, will refuse to forgive us. As we treat our neighbors, so also does God treat us. The forgiveness or unforgiveness of your sins, then, and hence also your salvation or destruction, depend on you yourself. For without forgiveness of sins there is no salvation. You can see for yourself how serious it is. — Tikhon Of Zadonsk

You must learn to forgive yourself as easily as you forgive others. And then take a further step and use all that energy that you used in condemning yourself for improving yourself. After that I really started to get somewhere - because there's only one person you can change and that's yourself. After you have changed yourself, you might be able to inspire others to look for change. — Peace Pilgrim

Forgive yourself for believing things about yourself that are not true. Forgive yourself for believing that you were anything other than a child of God. Then, after forgiving yourself for believing the things you were told, forgive the people who told you. Forgive them not for what they said or did. Forgive them because they did not know any better. — Iyanla Vanzant

You forgive yourself for every failure because you are trying to do the right thing. God knows that and you know it. Nobody else may know it. — Maya Angelou

When you initially forgive, it is like letting go of a hot iron. There is initial pain and the scars will show, but you can start living again. — Stephen Richards

I eventually came to understand that in harboring the anger, the bitterness and resentment towards those that had hurt me, I was giving the reins of control over to them. Forgiving was not about accepting their words and deeds. Forgiving was about letting go and moving on with my life. In doing so, I had finally set myself free. — Isabel Lopez

Love is forgiving, accepting, moving on, embracing, and all encompassing. And if you're not doing that for yourself, you cannot do that with anyone else. — Steve Maraboli

Being forgiven is like having all the worst bits of yourself stuffed into a balloon and then having that balloon set free. — Shannon Wiersbitzky

Are you aware that a healthy level of self-esteem is directly related to your ability to forgive yourself and others? It is. How so, you may ask? When you accept that you are no better or worse than anyone else and that you're not perfect and neither is anyone else you'll see the wisdom and reasonableness of forgiving yourself and others. A healthy level of self-esteem will also enable you to take responsibility for your words and actions and establish and maintaining healthy personal boundaries. The more you appreciate and respect yourself the more you'll be able to appreciate and respect others and others will find it easy to appreciate and respect you. — George Araiza

We might say that there can be pity in its full-fledged form only where there is also mercy for self: for the self engulfed by a sense of its own utter blackness can never win through to a sufficient recognition of the sorrows of the other as other. — Martha C. Nussbaum

There's no operation where you can have your anger cut out. But if you work on yourself, as you get better, you'll be more capable of seeing others as flawed human beings. That makes it easier to forgive. — Robin Quivers

That person who is the hardest to forgive is the one who can teach you the greatest lessons. When you love yourself enough to rise above the old situation, then understanding and forgiveness will be easy. And you'll be free. — Louise Hay

There is never a circumstance, no matter how catastrophic, that also does not hold within it an opportunity to better things, to better yourself. Every moment brings with it an opportunity to love, to forgive, to grow beyond your shortcomings. — Lee L Jampolsky

forgiving also applies to forgiving yourself. — Abi Ketner

Forgiving isn't something you do for someone else. It's something you do for yourself. It's saying, 'You're not important enough to have a stranglehold on me.' It's saying, 'You don't get to trap me in the past. I am worthy of a future. — Jodi Picoult

Forgiveness is inherently powerful enough to extend itself wholly and completely to us even when we are the ones in need of forgiving ourselves. — Craig D. Lounsbrough

If you aren't daily admitting to yourself that you are a mess and in daily and rather desperate need for forgiving and transforming grace, and if the evidence around has not caused you to abandon your confidence in your own righteousness, then you are going to give yourself to the work of convincing yourself that you are okay. — Paul David Tripp

By not forgiving yourself you are limiting your ability to give to others. — Danielle Joworski

Be gentle and forgiving with yourself, abandon any and all shame, and refuse to engage in any self-repudiation. — Wayne Dyer

To err is human; to forgive people and yourself for poor behavior is to be sensible and realistic. — Albert Ellis

Forgiveness is a gift to yourself. It frees you from the past, past experiences, and past relationships. It allows you to live in the present time. When you forgive yourself and forgive others, you are indeed free. — Louise Hay

Step Away from the Mean Girls ...
... and say bye-bye to feeling bad about your looks.
Are you ready to stop colluding with a culture that makes so many of us feel physically inadequate? Say goodbye to your inner critic, and take this pledge to be kinder to yourself and others.
This is a call to arms. A call to be gentle, to be forgiving, to be generous with yourself. The next time you look into the mirror, try to let go of the story line that says you're too fat or too sallow, too ashy or too old, your eyes are too small or your nose too big; just look into the mirror and see your face. When the criticism drops away, what you will see then is just you, without judgment, and that is the first step toward transforming your experience of the world. — Oprah Winfrey

I think forgiveness is absolutely mandatory. When you don't forgive the only person you are hurting is yourself because you are still harboring the anger and the mental anguish. — John Assaraf

I've been in situations where forgiveness has been withheld from me. And I've come to understand it's their choice. But just because they choose to live in a prison of unforgiveness doesn't mean I have to sit in there with them. Another perspective comes from R.T. Kendall in his book, Total Forgiveness, "Forgiving yourself may bring about the breakthrough you have been looking for. It could set you free in ways you have never experienced before." The things we've been through, even if they are shameful or destructive, could very well be things God wants to use in our lives to help others. And if we're standing in the way of our forgiveness, healing, and freedom, how can God do His work in our lives? — Tracie Stier-Johnson

Love is the ability to live your life with an empowered heart without attachment to the outcome, the ability within yourself to distinguish within yourself between love and fear and choose love regardless of what is going on inside yourself or outside. This is self-mastery or authentic power ... that means you become clear, forgiving, humble and loving ... you are grounded in harmony, cooperating, sharing and reverence for life. — Gary Zukav

But forgiving isn't something you do for someone else. It's something you do for yourself. — Jodi Picoult

Forgiveness is healing. Especially forgiving yourself — Alyson Noel

Although you should not erase your responsibility for the past, when you make the past your jailer, you destroy your future. It is such a great moment of liberation when you learn to forgive yourself, let the burden go, and walk out into a new path of promise and possibility. — John O'Donohue

A broken friendship that is mended through forgiveness can be even stronger than it once was. — Stephen Richards

I did then what I knew best, when I knew better, I did better. Maya Angelo — Maya Angelou

Forgive yourself. The supreme act of forgiveness is when you can forgive yourself for all the wounds you've created in your own life. Forgiveness is an act of self-love. When you forgive yourself, self-acceptance begins and self-love grows. — Miguel Angel Ruiz

Forgive everybody but yourself. — Holbrook Jackson

Forgiveness is a gift to the one who is hurting. — Josee D'Amore

You can literally go on and on and on with the blame game, but let me tell you, it only causes more heartache. You will be no better off and will still have no answers. — Sharon Critchfield

Forgiving is, first of all, a way of helping yourself to get free of the unfair pain somebody caused you. — Lewis B. Smedes

Silently repeat to yourself: I forgive myself for any ways in which I knowingly or unknowingly caused hurt or harm to any living being or creature. I forgive all who have ever hurt or harmed me. Everything between us is now cleared up. — Michael Beckwith

Forgive others, forgive yourself, forgive yourself for not being perfect, and accept responsibility for your own life. — Leo Buscaglia

Forgive yourself and welcome love back into your life. — Wayne Dyer

If you're having a hard time being compassionate to or forgiving of yourself or others, you repeat these four phrases directed to yourself or the other person: "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you." And just by saying and feeling those phrases, you will find your heart starts to melt. — Marci Shimoff

Forgiving someone does not mean you condone their behavior. The act of forgiveness takes place in your own mind. It really has nothing to do with the other person. The reality of true forgiveness lies in setting ourselves free from holding on to the pain. It is simply an act of releasing yourself from the negative energy. — Louise Hay

To find universal peace, teach yourself and everyone else to be kind, compassionate, and forgiving. — Debasish Mridha

Forgiving yourself, not guilt, increases personal accountability. — David D. Burns

Letting go of resentments is not the same as forgiving the other person. You don't have to forgive the other person if you don't want to. Let go of your resentments because it's good for you. Let them go, because if you don't, you will continue to poison yourself, and they will become part of the baggage you carry. — Steven M. Melemis

How do children learn to correct their mistakes?
By watching how you correct yours.
How do children learn to overcome their failures?
By watching how you overcome yours.
How do children learn to treat themselves with forgiveness?
By watching you forgive yourself. — William Martin

Forgiveness is the most powerful thing you can do for yourself. If you can't learn to forgive, you can forget about achieving true success in your life. — Wayne Dyer

Christ, too, will forgive, if only you attain to forgiving yourself ... Oh, no, no, do not believe that I have spoken a blasphemy: even if you do not attain to reconciliation with yourself and forgiveness of yourself, even then He will forgive you for your intention and for your great suffering. — Fyodor Dostoyevsky

You are not, though, forgiving so as to let others off with things. You are forgiving so that you can empower yourself to get over it and become strong. — Stephen Richards

... Of his sins [Heavenly Father] does not want [man] to think [on them] too much: once they are repented, the sooner the man turns his attention outward, the better [Heavenly Father] is pleased. — C.S. Lewis

The secret of forgiveness is not to procrastinate, but to free yourself immediately of stress by totally forgiving this instant. — Gerald Jampolsky

Pause and remember - It is never too late to begin again, to forgive someone, to have a dream, to meet someone or to love yourself. It is never too late! — Jennifer Young

It's toughest to forgive ourselves. So it's probably best to start with other people. It's almost like peeling an onion. Layer by layer, forgiving others, you really do get to the point where you can forgive yourself. — Patty Duke

You should be forgiving when others make mistakes, but not when the mistakes are in you. You should be patient under duress yourself, but not when it affects others. — Zicheng Hong

There is a fine balance between honoring the past and losing yourself in it. For example, you can acknowledge and learn from mistakes you made, and then move on and refocus on the now. It is called forgiving yourself. — Eckhart Tolle

Do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy? Forgive yourself and stop punishing yourself. — Louise Hay

Forgiveness is mental floss! Build the capacity to forgive slowly - start with little unkind acts, otherwise you'll sabotage yourself. When we forgive, we forgive the actor, not the action. — Stephen Levine

The past doesn't determine your future unless you carry it with you into the present. Forgiving yourself and others, you free the universe to begin again at any moment. — Marianne Williamson

Can you forgive her? Can you do that?
There was no response.
Because if you can start to forgive, then it will become easier.
And?
And then you will be able to forgive yourself - and ask others to forgive you. — Alexander McCall Smith

The only thing I can talk about is just forgiving yourself, because I do not have everything together. And so I tell people: No, you should see my house, it's a mess. — Susan Sarandon

We can make choices, but we can be vulnerable; we can do the wrong thing, but the wrong thing for all the right reasons. I think it [life] is basically about forgiveness, and not about someone else forgiving you, but you forgiving yourself. I think we all want a lot of that. — Kelli O'Hara

The fellow who eggs you on to avenge yourself will rob you of what you were going to say - as we forgive our debtors . When you have forfeited that, all your sins will be held against you; absolutely nothing is forgiven. — Saint Augustine

Love yourself-accept yourself-forgive yourself-and be good to yourself, because without you the rest of us are without a source of many wonderful things. — Leo Buscaglia

You can survive tough situations and even turn them to your advantage by acting as if you are the person you want to be. When you act like that person, you can become that person. The hard parts are deciding whom you want to become, being willing to rehearse until you become that person, and forgiving yourself until you do. — Bernie Siegel

Forgiveness is not a gift you give someone else, forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself. — Donald L. Hicks

Forgiving yourself means that you give up on your hope that the past will be different. — Edward M. Hallowell

There is a lot to look at when you are serious about transformation. You look at everything you've ever done, every circumstance you've ever been in, cleaning up everything in your past. Reconciling, forgiving others, forgiving yourself. It's a lot of work, actually. — Marianne Williamson

I have a lot of trouble forgiving myself for being so dumb ... But yes, of course, the big generous compassionate view that you should take of yourself and of all events is: what a glorious circus train this has been, and what a wonderful messy parade, and all of those steps took me here, where I precisely need to be now, so God bless it. — Elizabeth Gilbert

When we have opened ourselves to give forgiveness or to accept forgiveness we have opened ourselves to touch the Divine. — Genevieve Gerard