What will Forgiveness Do for ME?

Love the Life You Lead Coach Melinda Abrams asked me to be a part of the Love the Life You Lead 2012 blog series.You can find the Facebook page at Love The Life You Lead Facebook Page: 14 Days. 11 Expert Coaches. Loving the life you lead.

Question: How do I forgive myself for not being able to help my daughter recover from an eating disorder? What is the VALUE in forgiving myself?

Forgiveness is an act of love—towards ourselves. While it may seem a selfish endeavor, it is actually a generous gift, to our own life, peace, joy, happiness and those around us. There is great value in spending the time asking powerful questions, asking for help, admitting we felt powerless, and taking the steps to learn how to forgive.

Loving someone who is seriously ill and not being able to "save" or "fix" them can lead to a host of negative emotions. It can lead us to become a lifetime "victim" who no longer loves life and embraces fun.Seeing that we don't have that kind of power can actually be freeing and can give us the wings we need to fly away from the burden of being a victim. Then and only then, we can live a joyful live despite our history. 

I talk more about forgiveness in my book, Just Tell Her To Stop: Family Stories of Eating Disorders. Available at www.JustTellHerToStop.com
Becky Henry

Founder and President, Hope Network, LLC