Does this question touch you? If you are, there is something in your heart that needs to be released.
Before answering this question, take a pause and reflect. I intend to bring to your awareness any baggage you may be carrying in your heart that makes you feel unease and uncomfortable. Once you identify the baggage, you can start embracing forgiveness in your heart. Still, is it easy?
Forgiveness is the act of releasing any hurt feeling, any resentment, any grudge you may be harboring toward anyone and deciding to let go because it is a decision you make. It is a choice that has the potential of liberating your spirit and giving you peace and joy.
Some people, when facing a loss, may have encountered situations where forgiveness can be a challenge. Still, to heal, we must open our hearts to forgiveness. In the system, The 11 Principles of Transformation® I included forgiveness in Principle III, “Develop your spiritual dimension.” I believe, to transform our loss from the inside out, we need to forgive.
To fully forgive others, we must embrace compassion, which is a powerful emotion that goes beyond understanding or empathy. If we welcome compassionate understanding, our lives move to a more spiritual and fulfilling place. When we have been hurt, our resentment will not change the experience, but it can make it even more present throughout our lives. The more we think about the issue which hurts us, the bigger it becomes and the more hurt we feel. Does it benefit us?
There is a saying that goes, “forgive and forget.” In that case, I know it is a little more complicated. Unless someone erases it from our memory (which cannot be done!), we cannot forget issues that happened to us unless we repress them.
However, if we learn to remember without pain in our hearts, I would say we had forgiven.
Now, I have been referring to forgiving others. What about ourselves? As human beings, we make mistakes, and some of these mistakes may hurt other people (many times the people we love the most). What to do in this case?
I would suggest you do two things:
First, ask for forgiveness. It is a wonderful feeling to make amends with others….and the other action I suggest you to take is to forgive yourself.
Be compassionate and loving with yourself, and you will feel lighter.
Keep in mind that the person who benefits the most is…You!
Remember, your life has meaning!
Ligia M. Houben
