Josh's Weekly Insights -July 17, 2025

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”

-Lewis B. Smedes

Forgiveness can be one of the hardest things in the world. I will admit that it isn’t a strength of mine but it is something I consistently strive to improve at. 

But what does it really mean to forgive someone?

Forgiveness is so hard because it means letting go. Letting go of the hurt and harm that someone caused you. However, in that release it allows you to move forward without carrying the extra baggage of anger, regret, embarrassment or any other emotions you have because of the experience.

This is even more important when the person you need to forgive is yourself. Many of us hold ourselves to such unachievable standards and then fall apart when we can’t live up to perfection. If this is you, it is critical to forgive yourself and recognize that you are enough, you are beautiful because you have gifts that can add value to the world, and that at the end of the day if you do the best with what you have then you don’t have to be perfect. Sometimes forgiving ourselves is the biggest challenge.

Life is not always easy, but sometimes we make it more challenging by carrying baggage that shouldn’t be ours. By becoming better at forgiving others, we actually brighten our own world. We allow ourselves to be free from the ties to people who were toxic in our lives and detracted from our success.

Is there anyone you need to forgive today? If there is, take a moment to let go of the negative emotions and forgive them. In the end, that isn’t doing them a favor but yourself.

Now get out there and crush your week!