Yes, today is all about the F word.
Of course, if you’ve spent a weekend in the company of extended family you may be muttering that other F word. (!)
…uh-oh…
While the original F word can be hugely satisfying + a super-charge release of energy I have another idea for you today.
Forgiveness.
I know we hear that Gratitude is the key to a more satisfying life. This is true AND not complete (in my humble opinion).
My experience is that I’ve just never seen the kind of miraculous results from a Gratitude practice that I’ve seen from a Forgiveness practice.
Pros and Cons of Forgiveness
- Forgiveness can heal physical ailments quickly. (I don’t know why exactly except I’ve experienced this myself and seen it in others.)
- Gives you an emotional lift that may override devastating financial losses.
- Releases you from the emotional pain of child abuse.
- Frees up more love in your heart which you can then share with yourself or other people.
- Allows you to live in present time, rather than past time.
- May give you the inner juice + confidence you need to walk away from abusive relationships with family, friends, lovers, work mates or bosses.
- Heals broken hearts.
- May help you live longer.
- Forgiveness releases stress.
- May erase some of the lines of age on your face.
- Will put the twinkle back in your eye.
- Creates inner peace.
- Creates emotional clarity.
- Can shorten your to-do list. (Because you’re not trying to be an action figure to hide the emotional pain you carry…yes, sometimes people/women become human doers to hide their inner pain and resentment.)
- Instant forgiveness is possible.
- There is no shelf life on the effectiveness of Forgiveness. You will feel better whether you forgive now or in twenty years. If you Forgive now you will feel better now. If you wait twenty years….why would you wait twenty years to feel better? (sheesh…)
- Not all that needs to be forgiven is easy to forgive. Sometimes Forgiveness is the last thing you want to do when you really need to do it + can most benefit from it.
- It’s not as easy as Gratitude. Forgiveness means consciously walking into the places that are shadowy and dusty + where the light has not been shining + sweeping them out.
- Sometimes Forgiveness can not be done alone. Sometimes you need a friend, supporter, guide or spiritual permission-giver to get the job done.
- We weren’t taught how to overcome the resentment feelings. Resentment feelings are the reason we DON’T forgive. As children + teens we probably practiced saying “I’m sorry” and “It’s okay” and were expected to get on with things and that all would be well. There was little attention given to where the pain was lodged after an offense + how it may sit there and the “it’s okay” was not really “okay”.
- Unforgiveness may be something you inherited from your ancestors + you may not really find it easy to let go of past hurts.
- You might not know what to put in place of the things you’ve forgiven. You may unconsciously come up with new things to have to forgive, new dramas and hurts and transgressions in your life in order to feel safe. Yes…if we’ve carried unforgiveness and resentments, they’ve got a niche inside our spirits that keep us anchored to a place in time and space. Letting that go may create feelings of insecurity. Feeling lighter and less burdened may take some getting used to!
How to Forgive
The how-to is actually another blog post.
It’s also…a live workshop (in 2014).
How to forgive is, in fact, a whole e-course…an entire digital retreat.
For today…
1.
Decide if you have something you would like to place under the light of Forgiveness.
2.
If you do, then place it there. The awareness that you have something you may like to forgive is where we all start.
Forgiveness creates miracles, expands self-love, sparks synchronicity + exposes us to a true sense of Peace on Earth.