Rising Beyond the Past: The Quiet Strength of Forgiveness

Claire Ginbey
Jul 19
2 min read

Discover the inner freedom that comes from forgiveness — and why it's a courageous act of self-liberation.

Forgiveness is often misunderstood. Many think it means excusing harm, pretending it didn’t hurt, or letting someone "off the hook."

But real forgiveness isn’t about them. It’s about you.

It’s a quiet, powerful decision to no longer carry the weight of pain, resentment, or the story that keeps you small. It’s not about forgetting. It’s about releasing. And that release creates space for healing, clarity, and a deeper rise.

Why Forgiveness Feels So Hard

Forgiveness asks us to visit places we’d rather avoid. Old wounds. Deep betrayals. Broken trust. We hold onto pain because it feels like protection. If I let this go, what does that say about me? About them? About justice?

But in truth, holding on binds us to the past. It anchors us to the very energy we’re trying to move beyond.

Forgiveness is not weakness. It’s a radical act of reclaiming your energy.

What Forgiveness Is (and Isn't)

Forgiveness is:

Releasing the emotional grip someone or something has on your present.
Choosing peace over bitterness.
A boundary you set within, for your own wellbeing.

Forgiveness is not:

Saying what happened was okay.
Re-establishing trust with someone unsafe.
Forgetting what you learned from the experience.

You can forgive and still walk away. You can forgive and still protect your peace.

The Personal Power of Letting Go

In my coaching work, I often witness clients carrying old pain like armour. But when we gently peel it back, what’s underneath isn’t weakness — it’s freedom.

Freedom to:

Breathe deeper.
Lead more clearly.
Love with fewer walls.
Trust yourself again.

Letting go isn’t about losing power. It’s about reclaiming it.

A Gentle Path to Forgiveness

If you’re ready to explore forgiveness, try this:

1. Name the PainAcknowledge what hurt. Be honest about what you needed and didn’t receive.

2. Feel It FullyLet the emotion move through. Journal, cry, rage, walk — whatever allows it to surface and pass.

3. Choose to ReleaseSay it out loud or write: "I choose to release this pain. I no longer let it define me."

4. Reclaim Your PowerAsk: What does freedom from this look like? How do I want to move forward now?

Forgiveness is a Rising

You don’t forgive because they deserve it. You forgive because you deserve peace.

Because your energy is sacred. Because your future needs space. Because you were never meant to carry it all.

Forgive not to forget, but to rise.

Keep rising, keep evolving, keep shining.

Claire x