I like the title of the book “101 Ways to Create Mindful Forgiveness” and found it easy the read, The workbook questions & answers at the end of chapters spur deeper self-reflection. It seems a bit repetitive, with some cliched positive self-talk and feel good aphorisms. It also has helpful, concrete guidance on asking for forgiveness and practical advice about work-place etiquette. Although I found myself wanting deeper reflections about mindfulness and the deep work required to fully forgive someone, I enjoyed it as a quick read, and it would be a good introduction for new readers looking for down to earth answers about a complex topic.

Move over, all other books! I've found my new favorite – "Mindful Forgiveness"! 🌟 This book totally blew me away, and let me tell you why it's so darn important.

So, what the heck is mindful forgiveness, you ask? Well, this book dives deep into it, exploring all the different aspects of forgiveness – forgiving others, forgiving yourself, and yes, even forgiving those who aren't with us anymore. It's like a comprehensive forgiveness guide that covers all situations!

I can't stress enough how much this book impacted me. It's filled with insightful quotes that hit you right in the feels and provide the words you need when you're at a loss. Plus, the exercises and guided journaling prompts are the cherry on top – they really help you navigate through the forgiveness journey.

I'm already itching to get my hands on a physical copy ASAP. There's something about holding this gem in your hands that makes the whole experience even more powerful.

After reading "Mindful Forgiveness," I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I'm happier, lighter, and full of hope. It's incredible how forgiveness can do that to you!

Big thanks to #NetGalley for giving me the chance to review this book in exchange for my thoughts. But honestly, I would've picked it up anyway because it's just that good. If you're seeking a profound transformation, this book is a must-read. Don't miss out! 🙌😊

tl;dr I didn't get as much out of this book as I would've liked, but that doesn't mean it was a bad book. I think it can be a decent place to start in terms of navigating apologies and forgiveness, but if you are wanting detail and depth, you will need to pair this with something else or perhaps look elsewhere.

Not tl;dr:

To start out with, I did not expect this book to lean so heavily into the spiritual. Right off the bat there is discussions of energy, chakras, etc., which I wasn't expecting, so I had to put the book down a bit and re-adjust before picking it back up. I'm not a spiritual person, so I needed to come in with a new frame of mind to give this book a genuine chance. That said, a non-spiritual learner could still get things out of this book, and much of the spiritual aspects end up being minor and spread out enough to not be distracting for me. (Though the last chapter, on forgiving the deceased, does push the spiritual more heavily.)

Chapters cover: apologies (nit-pick: I wish the dos/don'ts section was split into dos vs donts and not jumbled together), healing power of forgiveness, self-forgiveness/self-care, forgiveness in romantic relationships, navigating family bonds, choosing friends, helping children navigate forgiveness, workplace culture & forgiveness, public persona & apologies, and forgiveness/apologies with the deceased.

Each chapter comes with definitions, advice, guides, and examples of the topic at hand, along with explaining the importance, such as why apologizing is so necessary, or the negative weight of holding a grudge, etc. It's very surface level, more than I'd like, though I am coming into this book right after reading a very thorough one on guilt, so it's hard not to compare. I suppose for a listicle book, it's not bad, so I think for someone looking to initially start their journey into understanding apologies and forgiveness, this isn't a bad resource to use, and certainly gets the ball rolling.

Also included in each chapter is several questions (and occasional activities) to get you to think back to various incidents in your life, or hypotheticals, and try to analyze them. I like that the questions are scattered throughout the chapter, and aren't all at the end, giving you multiple chances to pause and reflect over what you've read, and how to relate that to yourself and your life. I wish they were a little deeper, but I suppose the simplicity of the questions fits the overall theme/depth of the rest of the book.

Though I did feel things starting to get a bit repetitive as I read on. While each chapter has its own theme, the same concepts were repeated a lot, and I didn't feel like a lot of 'new' things were brought to the table. Especially when given quote examples on apologizing/forgiving. Those were all essentially the same in each section, despite the different themes. I think this is more a fault of the book only scratching the surface though.

That said, there is certainly still plenty of good and solid advice in here. Even with the spiritual parts, as a secular reader, I can still see ways around how to make things work for me. (As an example, with the mentions of crystals as a form of self-care and mindfulness, where the author states their healing abilities, you can translate this to trinkets you find value in. Perhaps a particular necklace, charm, toy, or still even a crystal, etc. has meaning to you--you can carry it with you as a reminder to breathe.) As I said though, this book is really only the tip of the iceberg, so I would say the target audience would be people lightly afflicted by forgiveness, or those just wanting to dip their toes into it. You can definitely take concepts from this book into therapy or discussing with others if you wanted to take things further.

While I ended up going through this book fairly quickly, I do think the strength in it would come from taking it slow, so you can ruminate or journal on what you've read. As a separate note, I do appreciate the author's push for getting professional help through therapy, and the inclusion of several mental health resources.

Would I recommend this? Perhaps. I could see this being an okay book for those new to this subject, teens, or could work as nice lessons for kids, but if you're already familiar with psychology and mental health, this book will likely not provide any new insights for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Kelly Browne for sharing an advanced copy of 101 Ways to Create Mindful Forgiveness.

This is a book that I will return to for myself and for my children. The lessons provided are wonderful teaching tools to help not only adults but kids too. I struggle with giving forgiveness not only to others but mostly to myself. This book has helped me open my eyes to a path that helps me release the pain and burdens I’ve been carrying for far too long. My teen daughter found comfort in the words of Kelly Browne after breaking up with her first boyfriend. Since then they have spoken and the two were able to hold a mature conversation where forgiveness of themselves and each other happened.

Being Mindful and Forgiving

The author describes “mindfulness” simply as having an awareness, focusing our mind on being still without judgment while clearing out interior chatter and outside distractions.

Below are some powerful words the author states as meaningful words for mindful intentions, which can be used as thoughtful affirmations to inspire you: "If my words or actions have caused harm to anyone in my life, I apologize and ask for the light and grace of forgiveness. I release with love and light all negative thoughts and feelings about myself or anyone else, for the highest good of all. I open my heart with love and gratitude for the blessing of my life. I open myself to the healing grace of forgiveness. I am beautiful, perfect, and resilient. The divine light in me honors the divine light in you. Namaste."

I love the fact that the author discusses what she terms as "The R's": Realization, Remorse, Reacting, Responsibility, and Resolute. I can relate to these because I loaned some items valued over $3,000 and after months went by I asked for my property and was told "I don't know what you’re talking about". And I am currently debating on suing her.

However, this book found me and after reading the below section on Respectfully Returning Property, I now understand why she has since been evicted from her home and living week to week in a one-room sketchy motel with two small children and also battling many other negative adverse actions in ger life.

Respectfully Returning Property
If you took something that didn’t belong to you, return it. Offering an apology and taking ownership of what you did is always the best course of action. Remember that when you take something that doesn’t belong to you, there will always be negative energy attached to the item you took. Every time you look at what you stole, you remember what you did. If you no longer have possession of the item, buy a new one to replace it if you can. It is never too late to accept responsibility and correct a mistake. Get it behind you so you can move forward in your life by restoring the energy, then you can release the act once and for all.

The author discusses various methods through which one can ask for forgiveness, the negativity of carrying grudges, and self-forgiveness through recognizing “Unmindfulness”.

Kelly Browne wrote an amazing book, and I highly recommend it to everyone, who is conscious of their actions, who have any interaction with anyone.

Thank you, Kelly for such an informative book.

This is my new favorite book. Mindful Forgiveness…what is it? Why is it important? This book covers so many situations with ways to forgive others, yourself, and even those who are no longer with us. There are insightful quotes, words to speak when you don’t know just what to say. There are exercises and guided journaling prompts which makes me want a physical copy ASAP. I feel lighter and happier with a sense of hope after reading this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book in exchange for a review.

101 Ways to Create Mindful Forgiveness: A Heart-healing Guide to Forgiveness, Apologies, and Mindfulness Tools for Peace
By Kelly Browne
HCI Books
Publication date: 3/7/23
(Health, Mind & Body)

3.5⭐️

101 Ways to Create Mindful Forgiveness is an overview and primer on everything related to forgiveness.

Forgiveness can be a hard thing to come by for many people. This book provides support in your quest to forgive others- and yourself. It covers forgiveness in all areas of life- romantic relationships, family, friends, children, work, society, as well as forgiveness for people who have passed.

Included are Mindful Moments, which are journal check-ins for further exploration.

This book covered a lot. It was a bit too broad for me but I’m sure it will appeal to many people.

Thanks to NetGalley, HCI Books, and Kelly Brown for this ARC.

This is a short and beautiful book. It both teaches and reminds the reader both new lessons and old. I read at a time when I especially need some of these reminders. The author invites the reader to think and rethink, which in our chaotic time is both a necessity and a gift.