True forgiveness is a hard concept for some people to practice. I’ve learned that the more I forgave, the more love I had in my life and the more I became willing to receive whatever the universe had in store for me. I learned to forgive those I thought had done me wrong and thanked them for the lessons they provided in my life. Most of the time it was nothing more than a misunderstanding, so along with forgiveness I learned to have compassion so I may understand where the other person is coming from when something happens. I have learned forgive myself for all the mishaps and self-judgments; for the times I can’t keep it together and breakdown in tears; and for dreams I did not fulfill, for now I’m seeing there was a better plan for me all along.

We are human–we make mistakes. What’s important is that we can forgive each other–and ourselves–when things go wrong and learn from it. We must see these moments as opportunities to create a radical shift towards love. Every act of true forgiveness and love can cause can ripple effect that can be felt throughout the world. And right now with everything going on, the world can use a lot more love.