I'm not saying it's easy to forgive. That is why the practice is so important. Nor am I saying that we need to expose ourselves to the behaviours of others that are detrimental to us or others. The practice of meditation does not necessarily need to be directed toward a certain person or situation, though that is also available and can be valuable. The practice of forgiveness is about nurturing this quality within our hearts.
Basically, what I am saying is, as a good friend of mine once said and which has stuck with me ever since, "We have a choice. We can either be unforgiving or we can be happy." Yes, forgiveness contributes to a more ongoing experience of happiness and contentment and greater capacity for peace of mind.
Here is a lovely Forgiveness Meditation that Dr. Sircar taught and which has been a great and ongoing friend to me. I find whenever I feel my heart getting hard, when those blocks and knots in my heart begin to form again, just by saying this simple meditation, by sincerely participating in it three or four times a day for just a handful of days, my heart becomes more free, more soft, more true.
May I be forgiven
for all my imperfections
and all my wrongdoings
of thought, speech, and action.
Whatever I have done
intentionally or unintentionally
to hurt or offend others
may I be forgiven for that.
I freely forgive all those who
knowingly or unknowingly
have cause so much pain, separation, or isolation
within me.
May all beings be forgiven
for all of their imperfections
and all of their wrong doings
of thought, speech, and action.
Whatever any being has done
to hurt or offend another
whether willingly or unwillingly
may they be forgiven for that.
As you may have noticed, we first practice forgiveness for ourselves. It all starts 'at home,' within our own lives and hearts and extends outward from there. It is said that it is very difficult to foster a complete or unfeigned experience of forgiveness of others if we don't have that openness first for ourselves. This is where so much foundational healing takes place, in the intimate dialogue with and the tender touching of our own hearts.
So again. If I were the most selfish person in the world, I would practice forgiveness, because it works.