--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You have to say I am forgiven again and…" description: "\"You have to say I am forgiven again and again until it becomes the story you believe about yourself.\" — Cheryl Strayed" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/cheryl-strayed-605_about-yourself_you-have-to-say-i-am-forgiven-again-and_172755.png" --- # You have to say I am forgiven again and again until it… ![“You have to say I am forgiven again and again until it becomes the story you believe about yourself.” quote by Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/cheryl-strayed-605_about-yourself_you-have-to-say-i-am-forgiven-again-and_172755.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/cheryl-strayed-605_about-yourself_you-have-to-say-i-am-forgiven-again-and_172755.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/cheryl-strayed-605_about-yourself_you-have-to-say-i-am-forgiven-again-and_172755.png) > “You have to say I am forgiven again and again until it becomes the story you believe about yourself.” [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Repeatedly affirming self‑forgiveness reshapes personal narrative and self‑identity. **In simple terms:** Self‑forgiveness changes how you see yourself. Key Takeaway Practice daily self‑forgiveness to rewrite your story. Themes self‑growth forgiveness identity Mood introspective encouraging Type self‑help psychological When to use this quote - therapy - journaling - habit building - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychology personal narrative healing process Questions to Reflect On - What stories do you tell yourself about past mistakes? - How can you sustain genuine forgiveness? A Different Perspective Forgiveness may be superficial without deeper work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about-yourself/) [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) ## Related quotes > [Be careful with your words. Once you say them they can only be forgiven, not forgotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-careful-with-your-words-once-you-say-them-they-can-only-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“God who lives in you gives you the grace to move beyond your deepest wounds and say “You are forgiven ” and “I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-augustine/god-who-lives-in-you-gives-you-the-grace-to-move-beyond-your-deepest/) [Sue Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-augustine/) > [I can say I have forgiven my captors. That being said, I never want to see them again. I'm not OK with they did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-smart/i-can-say-i-have-forgiven-my-captors-that-being-said-i-never-want-to/) [Elizabeth Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-smart/) > [When He say's we're forgiven,lets unload the guilt... When He say's we're valuable,lets believe Him.. When He say's we're porvided for,lets stop worrying God's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sainah/when-he-say-s-we-re-forgiven-lets-unload-the-guilt-when-he-say-s-we/) [Sainah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sainah/) > [“That is my story. Believe what you will. I remember it all; I remember it still.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mili-fay/that-is-my-story-believe-what-you-will-i-remember-it-all-i-remember/) Mili Fay > [And this, really, is the story-within-the-story, because if you do not believe that hearts can bloom suddenly bigger, and that love can open like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/and-this-really-is-the-story-within-the-story-because-if-you-do-not/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“The short story is not, as some believe, a lesser form of literature than the novel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-barger/the-short-story-is-not-as-some-believe-a-lesser-form-of-literature/) [Andrew Barger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-barger/) > [“give them a reason to care, a story they can believe in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-jiwa/give-them-a-reason-to-care-a-story-they-can-believe-in/) [Bernadette Jiwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-jiwa/) > [“As long as people believe in the written word and a good story.. They will believe in me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solange-nicole/as-long-as-people-believe-in-the-written-word-and-a-good-story-they/) [Solange nicole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solange-nicole/) > [I believe it, Chronicler found himself thinking. Before it was just a story, but now I can believe it. This is the face of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-believe-it-chronicler-found-himself-thinking-before-it-was-just-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [The story you choose to tell isn't always the story you believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nova-ren-suma/the-story-you-choose-to-tell-isn-t-always-the-story-you-believe/) [Nova Ren Suma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nova-ren-suma/) > [I believe that the writer should tell a story. I believe in plot. I believe in creating characters and suspense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-gaines/i-believe-that-the-writer-should-tell-a-story-i-believe-in-plot-i/) [Ernest Gaines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-gaines/) > [“We all begin with a story of ourselves that we believe to be true. But perhaps true personal change, even healing, can only happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thrity-umrigar/we-all-begin-with-a-story-of-ourselves-that-we-believe-to-be-true-but/) [Thrity Umrigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thrity-umrigar/) > [“Everything you attract into your life is a reflection of the story you believe and keep telling yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farshad-asl/everything-you-attract-into-your-life-is-a-reflection-of-the-story/) [Farshad Asl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farshad-asl/) > [I do believe in the power of story. I believe that stories have an important role to play in the formation of human beings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayao-miyazaki/i-do-believe-in-the-power-of-story-i-believe-that-stories-have-an/) [Hayao Miyazaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayao-miyazaki/) ## More by Cheryl Strayed > [“She understands that attention is the first and final act of love, and that the ultimate dwindling resource in the human arrangement isn’t cheap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/she-understands-that-attention-is-the-first-and-final-act-of-love-and/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“The most terrible and beautiful and interesting things happen in life. For some of you, those things have already happened. Whatever happens to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/the-most-terrible-and-beautiful-and-interesting-things-happen-in-life/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [Of course you want someone special to love you. A majority of the people who write to me inquire about how they can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/of-course-you-want-someone-special-to-love-you-a-majority-of-the/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [It's still true that literary works by women, gays, and writers of color are often framed as specific, rather than universal, small rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/it-s-still-true-that-literary-works-by-women-gays-and-writers-of/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [My whole life sort of ended when my mom died.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/my-whole-life-sort-of-ended-when-my-mom-died/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“And you have to do it no matter what is true. No matter what is hard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/and-you-have-to-do-it-no-matter-what-is-true-no-matter-what-is-hard/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“Don’t listen to those people who suggest you should be “over” your daughter’s death by now. The people who squawk the loudest about such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/don-t-listen-to-those-people-who-suggest-you-should-be-over-your/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“. . . there was the actual doing it, quickly followed by the grim realization of what it meant to do it, followed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/there-was-the-actual-doing-it-quickly-followed-by-the-grim/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“The sky didn't wonder where it was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/the-sky-didn-t-wonder-where-it-was/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [He was the most ordinary man in all the world, and yet in her memory he'd become luminous, like the prince in a fairy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/he-was-the-most-ordinary-man-in-all-the-world-and-yet-in-her-memory/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [Love is our essential nutrient. Without it, life has little meaning. It's the best thing we have to give and the most valuable thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/love-is-our-essential-nutrient-without-it-life-has-little-meaning-it/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“I never believed the boys were angry. I believed they were hurt and anger was the safest manifestation of their sorrow. It was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/i-never-believed-the-boys-were-angry-i-believed-they-were-hurt-and/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“It’s wrong that this is required of you. It’s wrong that your son died. It will always be wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/it-s-wrong-that-this-is-required-of-you-it-s-wrong-that-your-son-died/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“Your ultimatum is simple. It’s fair. And it’s stating your own intentions, not what you hope theirs will be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/your-ultimatum-is-simple-it-s-fair-and-it-s-stating-your-own/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“We aren't poor," my mother said, again and again. "Because we're rich in love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/we-aren-t-poor-my-mother-said-again-and-again-because-we-re-rich-in/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) [Explore all 450 Cheryl Strayed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) ## More About yourself quotes > [“they all have always loved you Will Herondale, for you cannot hide what is good about yourself, however har you try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/they-all-have-always-loved-you-will-herondale-for-you-cannot-hide/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupaul/if-you-can-t-love-yourself-how-in-the-hell-you-gonna-love-somebody/) [RuPaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupaul/) > [People are in denial all the time, hiding things. If I tell you a racist or dirty joke and you laugh, you're telling me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/people-are-in-denial-all-the-time-hiding-things-if-i-tell-you-a/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [Change your thoughts, change your life. —LAO TZU When I was fighting depression, I remember hearing this expression and not understanding it at first.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/change-your-thoughts-change-your-life-lao-tzu-when-i-was-fighting/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [Dreams really tell you about yourself more than anything else in this world could ever tell you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-browne/dreams-really-tell-you-about-yourself-more-than-anything-else-in-this/) [Sylvia Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-browne/) > [Celebrate all the things you don't like about yourself. love yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/celebrate-all-the-things-you-don-t-like-about-yourself-love-yourself/) [Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/) > [Start enjoying the things you like about yourself, and if there are things you want to change, either get to work on it or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benji-madden/start-enjoying-the-things-you-like-about-yourself-and-if-there-are/) [Benji Madden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benji-madden/) > [Always be yourself. There's only one you. You should embrace anything that you don't like about yourself because that's individual and that's you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesy-nelson/always-be-yourself-there-s-only-one-you-you-should-embrace-anything/) [Jesy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesy-nelson/) > [It's too distracting to read about yourself. You want to be perfect and you want everyone to love you, and that's never going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/it-s-too-distracting-to-read-about-yourself-you-want-to-be-perfect/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [If you want to know how to make people shun you and laugh at you behind your back and even despise you, here is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/if-you-want-to-know-how-to-make-people-shun-you-and-laugh-at-you/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [The only thing a master can teach is how to learn about yourself. There are no secrets. They are only techniques to waken yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-jodorowsky/the-only-thing-a-master-can-teach-is-how-to-learn-about-yourself/) [Alejandro Jodorowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-jodorowsky/) > [I don't want to sell myself short. You hurt your spouse, not so much by the infidelity, but by the negative feelings about yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-zaslow/i-don-t-want-to-sell-myself-short-you-hurt-your-spouse-not-so-much-by/) [Michael Zaslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-zaslow/) > [A stranger can see in an instant something in you that you might spend years learning about yourself. How awful we all are when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-elliott/a-stranger-can-see-in-an-instant-something-in-you-that-you-might/) [Stephen Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-elliott/) > [Knowing is the most profound kind of love, giving someone the gift of knowledge about yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-norman/knowing-is-the-most-profound-kind-of-love-giving-someone-the-gift-of/) [Marsha Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-norman/) > [Start telling the truth now and never stop. Begin by telling the truth to yourself about yourself. Then tell the truth to yourself about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/start-telling-the-truth-now-and-never-stop-begin-by-telling-the-truth/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) [Browse all 770 About yourself quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about-yourself/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You have to say I am forgiven again and again until it becomes the story you believe about yourself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cheryl Strayed" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/you-have-to-say-i-am-forgiven-again-and-again-until-it-becomes-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "About yourself" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/you-have-to-say-i-am-forgiven-again-and-again-until-it-becomes-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/cheryl-strayed-605_about-yourself_you-have-to-say-i-am-forgiven-again-and_172755.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/cheryl-strayed-605_about-yourself_you-have-to-say-i-am-forgiven-again-and_172755.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/cheryl-strayed-605_about-yourself_you-have-to-say-i-am-forgiven-again-and_172755.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You have to say I am forgiven again and again until it becomes the story you believe about yourself.” — Cheryl Strayed", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Cheryl Strayed", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You have to say I am...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/you-have-to-say-i-am-forgiven-again-and-again-until-it-becomes-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/you-have-to-say-i-am-forgiven-again-and-again-until-it-becomes-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```