Forgiveness is at the base of my figure 8 which is the path and the outline for the attainment of health(living with energy, freedom, and authenticity). The reason for this is because of the monumental importance of letting go of our anger, resentment, hatred, and all negative states. Peace, love, health, and any truly positive state can only be accessed if we let go of our deeply held negativity.
Forgiveness is first and foremost something we do for ourselves. It really does not have anything to do with others. We forgive them but we do not need them to accept or receive our gift. In fact, the recipient does not need to be aware of our blessing. It is truly only for us. We are choosing not to hold on to our grievances or animosities. We are letting go. We are setting ourselves free of our suffering.
Suffering evolves out of our perceptions. We were hurt by another. They didn't care about us. Why me? How could they do that after all we have been through? These perceptions whether right or wrong hurt us deeply. We may not be in the wrong; we may be the victim. However, over time, it is our holding of this animosity in our body and our minds that steals our peace, takes away our gratitude, and makes us a prisoner of our own making.
Quite possibly, the most important person to forgive is ourselves. Far too often, we can stay angry at ourselves for our perceived weakness, a mistake we believe we have made, or an imperfection in our way of being. While we might be able to forgive someone else for similar behavior, we find this behavior or state in ourselves to be inexcusable or unacceptable. We thereby go through life rejecting who we are or finding a part of ourselves to be shameful. This kind of hurt creates infinite suffering as rejection of ourselves is even more painful than being rejected by others. The only cure for this suffering is to forgive ourselves. No one else has to know but this internal act can liberate years of pain.
Forgiveness is our gift to ourselves. It provides the release from suffering. No one else has to know. It puts us on the road to health; it puts us back in the game.
Forgiveness is first and foremost something we do for ourselves. It really does not have anything to do with others. We forgive them but we do not need them to accept or receive our gift. In fact, the recipient does not need to be aware of our blessing. It is truly only for us. We are choosing not to hold on to our grievances or animosities. We are letting go. We are setting ourselves free of our suffering.
Suffering evolves out of our perceptions. We were hurt by another. They didn't care about us. Why me? How could they do that after all we have been through? These perceptions whether right or wrong hurt us deeply. We may not be in the wrong; we may be the victim. However, over time, it is our holding of this animosity in our body and our minds that steals our peace, takes away our gratitude, and makes us a prisoner of our own making.
Quite possibly, the most important person to forgive is ourselves. Far too often, we can stay angry at ourselves for our perceived weakness, a mistake we believe we have made, or an imperfection in our way of being. While we might be able to forgive someone else for similar behavior, we find this behavior or state in ourselves to be inexcusable or unacceptable. We thereby go through life rejecting who we are or finding a part of ourselves to be shameful. This kind of hurt creates infinite suffering as rejection of ourselves is even more painful than being rejected by others. The only cure for this suffering is to forgive ourselves. No one else has to know but this internal act can liberate years of pain.
Forgiveness is our gift to ourselves. It provides the release from suffering. No one else has to know. It puts us on the road to health; it puts us back in the game.
Comments