Most of us do not realize we have a choice as to how we react to our thinking.
For the unaware, they feel at the mercy of their thoughts and see no way to escape them.
It is not so for the awakened soul. They know they have a choice as to how they respond to thought and that they can control the narrative in their mind.
It is essential to forgiveness that we realize our power to not judge, both ourselves or others.
Forgiveness is a choice we can make, but not easily if we allow our mind to control the narrative in us.
As the awakened soul strives to maintain a high conscious level of being, they realize the experience of being free of the mind and judgement from the lower experience of being bullied by negativity and emotional contamination of their consciousness.
Only the soul that has realized a separation from the lower body of consciousness can see that a separation exists and they have a choice to go higher or descend lower into personal conflict and division.
Robert