The Role of Forgiveness in Spiritual Growth (and Why It’s Not Just About “Being the Bigger Person”)
Let’s just get this out of the way:
Forgiveness is not about excusing bad behavior.
It’s not about spiritually bypassing your pain.
And no, it’s definitely not about sending love and light to someone who steamrolled your boundaries and then blocked you on Instagram.
Forgiveness, when approached through the lens of spiritual awakening, is so much more than a moral checkbox.
It’s a portal.
A path.
A powerful soul-level alchemy that liberates you from the very patterns and energies that have kept you small, stuck, and spinning.
“Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon.”
What Forgiveness Really Is (and Isn't)
Forgiveness isn’t saying, “What happened was okay.” It’s saying, “I’m no longer letting what happened run my life.”
It’s not a one-and-done moment. It's often a spiral — one that revisits deeper layers as your consciousness evolves. (If you’ve ever thought you were sooo over something, only to have it pop up like a spiritual whack-a-mole during Mercury retrograde — congratulations, you’re doing it right.)
Forgiveness is energetic sovereignty in action.
It’s the soul saying: “I choose peace over poison.” And that’s where the growth happens. There is a famous quip that Jack Kornfield mentions: Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.
Quick Soul Check-In:
Still ruminating on what they did to you or what you should or shouldn’t have done differently?
Am I hanging onto this because I wish it had turned out differently?
Avoiding the memory but feeling heavy anyway?
Saying you've “moved on” while plotting revenge scenarios in the shower?
Yeah… it's probably time to practice some forgiveness.
If this is resonating, you might love working with me 1:1 or joining the next round of the Sacred Shift Society. More on that below.
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”
Is holding on causing you emotional turmoil?
The Spiritual Cost of Holding On
Hanging onto hurt and grudges is expensive. And I’m not just talking emotionally.
It drains your spiritual bandwidth. It clogs your intuition. It keeps you tethered to the very situations you’re trying to evolve out of.
In energy terms, it’s like having an app running in the background that eats up your battery. You might not notice it moment to moment, but over time, your whole system slows down. Your manifestation game weakens. Your inner peace gets glitchy. And your connection to Divine flow? Spotty at best.
Forgiveness is the soul’s version of hitting “force quit” on energetic bloatware.
But What If I’m Not Ready?
Let’s be real. Some things feel unforgivable. Some wounds go deep. And there’s wisdom in honoring your timing.
Here’s my loving challenge to you: Can you be willing to want to forgive?
Even that baby step signals to your soul that you’re ready to move toward liberation. Forgiveness doesn’t mean reopening the door. It means closing the energetic loop that’s been siphoning your power. “I forgive you” can mean “I set myself free.”
What if the one i need to forgive is myself?
We are often hardest on ourselves and spend years, even decades reliving or beating ourselves up over situations where we didn’t live up to our best version of ourselves. Or worse yet, beating ourselves up over things we have absolutely not control or responsibility for.
Give yourself a break. Right now is a fresh start and in this moment find some compassion for yourself. Release the gilt and shame. Send it up to God, The Angels, your higher self, your spirit guides, mother earth or whatever deity you feel will help. And then notice the space you have available for something better, something more in alignment with your greatest good. Set yourself FREE! Or try one of the tips below:
Soulful Practices to Begin
Here’s a simple but potent forgiveness ritual I often share with clients:
Forgiveness Release Ritual
Light a candle or hold a grounding stone (tourmaline or tiger’s eye are good choices).
Speak aloud or journal:
"I am open to releasing this pain."
"I honor what I’ve learned. I take back my energy."
"I forgive so that I may be free."
Breathe. Imagine the grievances dissolving. Feel what shifts.
Don’t rush it. Don’t force it. Just return to it when you feel the pull.
If the Forgiveness Release Ritual above doesn’t do it for you try this great Buddhist Prayer
Buddhist Prayer for forgiveness
If I have harmed anyone in any way either knowingly or unknowingly through my own confusions, I ask their forgiveness.
If anyone has harmed me in any way either knowingly or unknowingly through their own confusions, I forgive them.
And if there is a situation I am not ready to forgive, I forgive myself for that.
For all the ways that I harm myself, negate, doubt, belittle myself, judge or be unkind to myself through my own confusions, I forgive myself.
I use this prayer as I am falling asleep as a way to clear the slate for the next day. If it appeals to you give it try.
Why Forgiveness Accelerates Awakening
When you forgive, you loosen the grip of ego identity. You open space for soul. You become more available to your intuitive knowing, your higher guidance, and your Divine path. This is the real work of spiritual growth: Clearing what’s in the way of your soul’s light shining fully.
When you forgive, you reclaim pieces of yourself that were lost to pain, bitterness, or blame. You call your power home.
And guess what?
That’s when the magic happens.
Synchronicities return.
Clarity flows.
Your intuitive spark reignites.
(And yeah—your boundaries get way stronger, too.)
Ready to Take It Deeper?
If this stirred something in you—if you’re ready to stop carrying what’s no longer yours, to live lighter, freer, and more fully aligned—there’s a next step for you.
Join the Sacred Shift Society – my soulful group coaching experience for conscious people ready to step into their truth.
Or book a Soul Healing Session with me, and let’s untangle the energetic roots of what’s been keeping you stuck.
You don’t have to walk this path alone. You just have to say yes to your own liberation.
Final Thought
Forgiveness isn't weakness. It’s spiritual gold. It’s the art of saying, “I see what happened—and I choose forgive anyway.
Not for you, but for me.” Because frankly, your energy is too precious to waste on soul static. You’ve got lifetimes of wisdom, purpose, and radiant unfolding ahead of you. Let’s not let Chad from 2012 keep you from your awakening.