There is a lot of talk about forgiveness, and the benefits that practicing it can bring to our lives. But They rarely explain clearly to us what the purpose of asking for forgiveness is or how to learn to do it in a good way, to have a better quality of life based on its practice.
In this article we will focus precisely on that: on explaining what the purpose of asking for forgiveness is and what are the main benefits that doing it appropriately and in a timely manner brings to our lives.
What is the point of asking for forgiveness?
At some point we all believe that we have failed someone, or we feel guilty for things we did without thinking about them too much; It could even happen that we feel angry with ourselves
All the feelings that we do not express in a timely manner remain with us as a pending account, which could prevent us from functioning properly in the other areas of our daily life. This psychological discomfort could even bring physical discomfort.
That is why knowing how to ask for forgiveness is so important for our lives; It allows us to discard many of those negative thoughts and feelings that hurt us But it is important to know how to do it well; It is not enough to just express it verbally, we must find a way to find that relief when we express the request for forgiveness. When we have achieved this we can begin to see the changes in our lives.
On the other hand, another benefit of asking for forgiveness is that improves the quality of our social relationships and also benefits third parties ; This is a win-win action in most cases.
How to apologize assertively?
To ask for forgiveness in the best way, it is important to keep in mind that we have no control over other people’s actions That is, we can never control what others do or feel. We only have control over ourselves, over our actions.
Taking this into account, we will be able to dedicate the greatest amount of our resources to cultivating our tranquility and our peace of mind. To the extent that we stop placing all expectations on others and also focus on ourselves, it becomes easier for us to ask for forgiveness. , apart from the fact that we managed to do it in a more natural and calm way, knowing how to respect the responses and decisions of others.
It is good to understand that perhaps the other person is not in the mood to grant us forgiveness at that moment. It is a situation that must be understood without letting it bother us , since it is something natural. Everyone has their own times and ways of internalizing forgiveness, so in any case feel comfortable that you were able to express your feelings openly, and you also had the capacity and emotional strength to have asked for their forgiveness.
The 6 benefits of knowing how to ask for forgiveness
In these lines we will see several answers to the question of what is the purpose of asking for forgiveness, with its main benefits in daily life.
1. We take a weight off our shoulders
This weight refers to the emotional burden we have on us when we feel the urgent need to ask someone for forgiveness, regardless of the reason.
Once we manage to express our reasons to that person and we ask for forgiveness we will feel a sense of relief that replaces the anguish we had previously.
2. It makes us better people
The act of asking for forgiveness ennobles us. The moment we are able to accept that we were wrong and that someone deserves an apology for our past behavior, we are strengthening our integrity and becoming a better version of ourselves
This can also be seen by the people around us, who will take into account the fact that even when we make a mistake with someone, we pay the price, which implies that we give importance to not harming others or being unfair to others (and That means we’re relatively unlikely to do it.)
3. It helps us recognize our mistakes
To think that we have to apologize to someone, we first had to have gone through a prior self-assessment process which led us to realize that we had made some mistakes.
People who are able to recognize their own mistakes have the tendency to go further in achieving their goals; those who do not accept their mistakes will most likely stumble over them repeatedly.
4. Improves our coexistence with others
Dealing with others becomes more pleasant when there are no quarrels between people, and an essential requirement for this to be the case is to show others that we are capable of recognizing when we are wrong and that we are not ashamed of having to ask for forgiveness when necessary. .
5. Contributes to physical and mental health
Many physical ailments are related to the high levels of anguish and stress that people present. when they don’t feel good about what they do or have done
Those subjects who do not keep their emotions to themselves, but are fully capable of expressing them openly and assertively, are less likely to have their emotional state compromised, and are also protected against various forms of discomfort.
Becoming forgiven not only serves to reduce tensions in personal relationships, it also allows to reduce tensions at an individual level, in relationships with oneself. That’s why, influences self-concept and self-esteem through a task that is complex and involves leaving the comfort zone, proving to oneself that we can do things well.
6. Prevents awkward moments in the future
At the moment of asking for forgiveness We are closing a cycle, putting an end to a situation If we do not do so, we would be giving rise to uncomfortable situations in the future with one or more people, related to the cycle that we have not been able to close. This occurs especially in those who remain in the social environment in which they have met the person to whom they have harmed or with whom they have been unfair.