Forgiveness is so much more than some act of goodwill. Forgiveness is critical for your own well-being. If you hold onto resentments they'll eat away at you much more than they'll ever disturb the wrongdoer. Forgive to lighten your heart. You don't have to forget, but you should definitely drop the resentment, and move on.
Tag: forgiveness
Vilify
It can be so seductive to vilify someone for whom you've judged as a bad person. But to do that, you need to make them almost one-dimensional, only capable of embodying those bad qualities that you're focusing on. They may have indeed done something horrible, but they might have also done some good in their … Continue reading Vilify
Life
Life is a mystery. Yet it doesn't need to be fully understood to be meaningful. The mystery of life doesn't have to be solved before you can enjoy it. If you just practice forgiveness, express gratitude, and be a light to others, you'll have more than enough to understand that the meaning of life is … Continue reading Life
Freedom
Anything you try to control, controls you. Holding on to any kind of resentment towards someone keeps you chained to the hurt. Looking backwards doesn't keep you safe, it keeps you stuck. Freedom comes from forgiveness. Freedom comes from letting go, looking ahead, and having faith that you will be okay. Face forward, forgive easily, … Continue reading Freedom
Forgive
Practice forgiveness, generously and frequently. Forgiveness is what leads you to freedom. Isn't that what everyone is ultimately after? When you hold others in judgment, you're also holding yourself captive to the offense. Forgive and release yourself. After all, you wouldn't be able to judge another if you weren't aware of whatever sin you're judging … Continue reading Forgive
Free
Today I read a piece of advice on forgiveness from Jen Sincero. She said: "If you're feeling hurt or resentful toward some A-hole you don't care about, free yourself and let it go instead of stewing on it or getting revenge... get over it. Let it go. The longer you stay attached to being vindicated, … Continue reading Free
Return to Love
A Course In Miracles says: "only love is real." And yet we tend to get caught up in the world of illusions, when we are anything but loving to each other. Forgiveness is more than just something that's nice to do. Forgiveness frees you from the illusions of anger and fear, and brings you back … Continue reading Return to Love
Turn
If it's still upsetting you when you think about the pain they caused, then realize that the upset has nothing to do with them. It's coming from you. Revenge and anger will do nothing to relieve you, only forgiveness can. If you're still upset, then you haven't fully forgiven them or yourself. You have to … Continue reading Turn
Epic Days
Speak up now. Take action today. Be prepared to have this be the last day you are remembered by, because tomorrow is not guaranteed. Love those around you. Forgive easily. Laugh and smile sincerely. Not because it puts others at ease, but because it makes life feel so much brighter for you, and because it … Continue reading Epic Days
Valuable Friendships
Socrates had a famous belief that, no one does wrong on purpose. After all, we are each only ever doing the best that we can, given the information we know. And so, we should be generously willing to forgive. Just imagine if you were never forgiven for all of your mistakes, how hard it would … Continue reading Valuable Friendships
Forgive Often
Forgiveness is not a one-time act. Forgiveness will set you free, and sometimes you will just need to repeatedly forgive another as the same hurt may come up again and again. Each time you forgive, you release yourself from that pain. So forgive, and forgive often.
Simple Habits
I can't go to sleep without having brushed and flossed my teeth. It's a daily habit I developed because taking care of myself is important to me. I also make sure each night that I've reminded myself of my blessings, and have practiced gratitude for them. And I make sure that I practice forgiveness, so … Continue reading Simple Habits
Healing
There is a beautiful Hawaiian prayer for healing, called the Ho’oponopono Prayer. It's simple, short and powerful. By repeating it's four phrases over and over, it helps to calm you, and clear anger, hurt and negativity. It's about forgiveness, but it calls on you to take responsibility yourself, as any emotions you feel ultimately come … Continue reading Healing
Forgiveness is not One-and-Done
Practicing forgiveness is so important for your mental health. Forgiveness helps free you from the burden of being weighed down by anger and resentment. But it doesn't have to be such a significant and ultimate decision. I recently heard author Glennon Doyle give this great description of forgiveness. She said, Forgiveness is not a before … Continue reading Forgiveness is not One-and-Done
Practice
A long time ago, when diapers were a staple in my wardrobe, I couldn't walk without wobbling, or use a fork, or say the word "truck" correctly. (my "tr" sounded like an "F"... it was laugh riot at gatherings) Eventually, with enough practice, I went from wobbling to walking to running. With enough practice I … Continue reading Practice
Practice Forgiveness
It's important to take care of yourself. And practicing forgiveness actually takes care of you more than whoever it is you should forgive. Holding on to anger, grudges and resentment affects your health, not the jerk you feel it towards. Forgive, and forgive often. I write this for myself as much as anyone reading this. … Continue reading Practice Forgiveness
New Choice
Best Selling Author and Motivational Speaker, Gabrielle Bernstein, shares a great 3-step method on how to deal with anxiety or with any negative thought. She advises to: Notice the fearful thoughtForgive the thoughtProactively choose a better-feeling thought This reminds me of an Improv game I used to play, called "new choice". It's a way to … Continue reading New Choice
It takes one to know one.
When we judge another, it's because we think we know exactly what they're up to. We think we know of this sin that they're committing because we have an awareness of it inside of us as well. What if this awareness is not so much of an alert to start judging, but rather a signal … Continue reading It takes one to know one.
Lighten up
Forgive, and forgive often. Not because they deserve it, but because you do. Holding grudges is just like holding onto heavy baggage. You're the one who gets bogged down by it, not them. Let that go, and lighten up. Forgive, and feel free again.
A heart filled with love
Flight attendants advise in case of an emergency, to place the oxygen mask on yourself first before helping others with theirs, even your own child's. This is because you will be of no help to anyone if you suffocate. Well, duh, right? You can't love if you don't love yourself first. If you don't give … Continue reading A heart filled with love
Like a Fox! 