Forgiveness is a choice. When the journey begins, it’s worth it and you are worth the work. This was the experience that today's guest, Stephanie McNeal, talks about overcoming in this episode.
Stephanie McNeal is a Speaker, author, forgiveness coach, and now thriving after experiencing infidelity in marriage. She is also the podcast host of Freed2Love, which talks about forgiving yourself from past mistakes, unhealed heartbreak, accepting the truth, and freeing yourself to move forward with your life.
Let’s dive right into this episode and learn from Stephanie how to heal yourself and encounter the power of forgiveness.
[00:01 - 05:58] Opening Segment
- I introduce and welcome Stephanie McNeal
- Who is Stephanie?
- Speaker, author, forgiveness coach
- Thriving after experiencing infidelity in marriage and being newly single
- Helping people to bounce back from any types of abuse
- Forgiveness is necessary for people to grow
- Stephanie shares how she gained the strength to turn trauma into courage
- Motivated by her late fathers’ heritage in influencing a lot of people
- Join a spiritual development program called Identity and Destiny
- Got called to be a minister of reconciliation for the masses
[05:59 - 11:10] Finding the Greater Purpose
- Stephanie talks about her new calling and purpose in life
- Being called to help people find forgiveness
- Success is tied to the ability or inability to forgive
- Stephanie talks about her response to the calling
- Desire not to pass the same bitterness to her children
- Awareness of your greater purpose
- Breaking through the victim mentality
- I talk about the challenge of breaking through in my experience
- Fear is the biggest factor and obstacle to break through your situation
- Knowing that it is not about you, it is about what you’re supposed to be accomplishing
- The feeling of being unqualified
- Stephanie talks about being free
- Overcome the negative thought, feeling, and action towards your trauma
- Don’t try to avoid or bury it
[11:11 - 27:49] Encounter the Power of Forgiveness
- I talk about my experience with the power forgiveness
- How it manifested and changed the dynamic of my relationship with my father
- Forgiveness is the most healing and beautiful thing that took place
- How can we learn to start to forgive truly?
- Trying to offer the wrongdoer compassion, benevolence, and love
- We as forgivers realize that the offender does not necessarily have a right to such gifts, but we give it as an act of mercy
- In forgiveness, we acknowledge that the effect is unfair and will always be
- We have the right to be angry, but not retaliate, nor revenge
- Having the view that people do not have the right to hurt you
- Forgiveness is a choice and a journey
- How to experience forgiveness while still be compassionate
- Acknowledge the hurt and pain
- Takes humility and vulnerability
- Be authentic and transparent
- I talk about the value of giving yourself credit on the journey of forgiveness
- Acknowledge the transformation within
