Everyone has the control within themselves to forgive or not forgive someone. Forgiveness is about taking responsibility for the choices we make and doing what we believe is right. By forgiving others, the authority of our own lives can be regained by letting go of the conflicting objects of the past and moving forward in a more meaningful direction. Today's world is full of conflict and people experience suffering every day. Conflicts are visible today in politics, between countries and between ordinary people. Conflicts such as those listed above often shape the atmosphere we live in and shape the person we are today. We can see that forgiveness is a starting point in trying to resolve conflicts, but not everyone will choose the path of forgiveness. There are many ways to deal with forgiveness, such as: letting go and forgetting it, reaching an agreement, or perhaps even moving forward while remembering the past and choosing to learn from it. It is often difficult to grant forgiveness because the definition is open-ended. Many people believe that forgiveness simply involves letting go of resentment and moving toward a better life. This view is often adopted by many psychologists who believe that forgiveness and reconciliation can occur without the other (Frise and McMinn 84). As de Waal and Pokorny say, “forgiveness is simply an internal process while reconciliation is an external relational process” (Frise and McMinn 84). Forgiving someone and letting go can be an extremely difficult challenge, but it would be even more difficult to hold a grudge, unable to come to an agreement. There may come a time when saying "I forgive you" will be the only way to establish a strong level of self-esteem and create the o...... middle of paper ......h both ideas can be part of forgiveness, the best way to forgive is to rely on yourself. Conflict is a part of everyone's life, but a pretty important part of life is learning from past conflicts to achieve forgiveness. Works Cited Frize, Nathan R. and Mark R. McMinn. “Forgiveness and Reconciliation: The Different Perspectives of Christian Psychologists and Theologians.” » Journal of Psychology and Theology 38.2 (2010): 83-90. Print.King, Jr., Martin Luther. “Letter from a Birmingham Jail [King, Jr.].” Center for African Studies. NP, 2010. Web. April 12. 2014.New American Bible. Nashville: World Bible, 1987. Print. Wiesenthal, Simon. “Title of the selection”. Le Tournesol: On the possibilities and limits of forgiveness. Ed. Harry J. Cargas, BonnyV. Fetterman and Simon Wiesenthal. New York: Schocken Books Inc., 1998. 1-100. Print.