Headspace_logo_svg
PodcastWhy Forgiveness?

Why Forgiveness?

Forgiveness is hard, especially when someone has hurt us in a lasting way. Today, Rosie talks about why it's important to forgive, and how it can ultimately help us find peace.

Try 14 days free

Better mental health starts with Headspace. Unrivaled expertise to make life feel a little easier, using guided meditations, mindfulness tips, focus tools, sleep support, and dedicated programs.

Try 14 days free
Better mental health starts with Headspace

(hissing music) (enlightening music) Headspace Studio. Hi, everyone. It's Rosie. Welcome to Radio Headspace and to Wednesday. So I've been having a hard time forgiving someone close to me. It's one of those situations where I asked them for a favor they said they would help me and they did not deliver. Now I know I'll forgive my friend eventually. But since we're on the topic of forgiveness, I wanna talk today about how difficult it can be to forgive, especially if someone has wronged you in some lasting way. So let's get into why it's important to forgive and how forgiveness can even be a path to emotional freedom. Forgiveness, for me, has always meant freedom. Unchaining yourself from that experience, from something that is keeping you stuck in the maze of the mind. If you're living with any sort of contention in your life, it creates negative energy, and that really depletes us. And not forgiving gives the other person power because now they get to live rent-free in your mind. I mean, we have 50,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day and 90% of those thoughts are the same thing. So if you're constantly dwelling on something that is causing you to be upset or another person that did something to wrong you, you're constantly letting them live in your mind. So going back to the friend I mentioned at the beginning of the episode, I was throwing an event and my friend said that he would help me. And he totally bailed at the last minute. I was left holding the bag. And he even showed up at the event like nothing happened. I was so upset. And obviously I couldn't say anything while we were there celebrating with friends. But it took many, many days before I actually was able to have a conversation with him because of how upset I was. And in the days leading up to that conversation, it took up a lot of real estate in my mind. The way I dealt with my anger in that specific moment was to write about it. Essentially, I wrote him a letter that I had no intention of giving to him, but it allowed me to get all of my feelings out. Once I was done with that letter, the surge of anger and resentment that I felt was completely gone. Now I know that that's not the case for different situations in our lives, especially if somebody's wronged us and it's something that's been long-lasting, maybe even for a lifetime. But for this particular situation, it really gave me clarity around why I was upset. I think it had more to do with me feeling overwhelmed and over-committing to do this event, knowing that I would need help, and I was putting all of that frustration on my friend. I called him and I said, "I'm really upset that you promised you would help me to do this." And he proceeded to tell...

Details

TypePodcast
Duration5 min

About your teachers

  • A former Buddhist monk, Andy has guided people in meditation and mindfulness for 20 years. In his mission to make these practices accessible to all, he co-created the Headspace app in 2010.

    More about Andy
  • Eve is a mindfulness teacher, overseeing Headspace’s meditation curriculum. She is passionate about sharing meditation to help others feel less stressed and experience more compassion in their lives.

    More about Eve
  • As a meditation teacher, Dora encourages others to live, breathe, and be with the fullness of their experiences. She loves meditation’s power to create community and bring clarity to people’s minds.

    More about Dora
  • Kessonga has been an acupuncturists, therapist, and meditation teacher, working to bring mindfulness to the diverse populations of the world.

    More about Kessonga
  • Rosie Acosta has studied yoga and mindfulness for more than 20 years and taught for over a decade. Rosie’s mission is to help others overcome adversity and experience radical love.

    More about Rosie
Your lifelong guide to better mental health

Your lifelong guide to better mental health

Stress, sleep, and all the challenging emotions — care for your mind with the everyday mental health app that's shown to make a difference.

Try 14 days free
Look After Your Mind

Look after your mind

Proven guided meditations and programs to help you stress less, sleep more soundly, and better navigate life’s challenges

Science Backed

Science-backed

Studies show that using Headspace for 30 days can reduce stress, increase resilience, and improve overall well-being

Explore Content

Explore 1000+ 
expert-led exercises

Access our library of meditations, breathing exercises, and guidance videos for stress, sleep, focus, everyday anxiety , parenting, and more.

Member reviews

Hear from some of our members

Your app brings so much peace and tolerance to our home.

Rachel

UK

Member-Icon-01

Changing my thoughts has allowed me to change my life.

Davide

London

Member-Icon-04

The stress and loneliness courses … taught me how to comfort myself.

Alicia

Canada

Member-Icon-03

Headspace provides me with … a connection to myself, and a disconnection from negative thoughts, feelings, and sensations.

Keri

UK

Member-Icon-02

Related to 'Why'

Forgiveness

Meditation10 min

Find peace in working to forgive yourself or others.

More to explore

Beginning Meditation

Explore-More-Icon-02

Reframe Stress and Relax

Explore-More-Icon-01

New and Popular

Explore-More-Icon-03

Becoming a Mindful Parent

Explore-More-Icon-04
    • Terms & conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Consumer Health Data
    • Your privacy choices
      Privacy Choices Icon
    • CA Privacy Notice
  • © 2024 Headspace Inc.
  • Terms & conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Consumer Health Data
  • Your privacy choices
    Privacy Choices Icon
  • CA Privacy Notice