At the time of this writing, it is just before Christmas. Christmas can be a wonderful and joyous time of year when we share gifts, kindness and appreciation towards our friends and family. It can also be a time of heart-ache, sorrow, sadness, despair and sometimes even worse.
People change their minds. Promises are broken. Situations change.
Sometimes this is unintentional. Other times, it may be deliberate. Often, it is unavoidable due to circumstances unforeseen or out of an individual’s own control.
Regardless of the specific situation, the result is often the same: emotional pain. Feelings get hurt. Trust is weakened, damaged or altogether destroyed.
Unique, painful situations typically happen one time, or a small number of times. Yet, in our minds and our memories, we torture ourselves by replaying these events, conversations and heartaches over and over and over again, tens or hundreds of times.
The result of which leaves us far more upset than any isolated incident in and of itself.
Where can we go from here?
Forgiveness.
Forgiveness is a magical recipe that unlocks your freedom. Forgiveness frees ourselves from our negative patterns and allows us to let go of our limiting stories.
Make no mistake about it, forgiveness is for you. When you forgive someone, you are the one who benefits most. You let go of your story. And if you choose, you can begin telling yourself a new, more lovely story from that point forward.
But how can you forgive someone? How can you muster the courage to forgive someone for hurting you so deeply that it can be hard to even breathe?
Begin by forgiving yourself. Give yourself permission to feel the way that you feel and forgive yourself for those feelings. It’s okay that you reacted the way that you did. It’s okay that you thought those unlovely thoughts. It’s okay that you responded to life in the way that you did. It’s all okay.
You are forgiven.
Simply allow yourself to forgive yourself, fully, deeply, and completely.
You are where you are, and where you are is fine.
As you allow the negativity to leave your body and mind, you can now turn your attention towards the other party. This may include persons, situations, events and circumstances, to name a few. Anything that causes upset in your life is an opportunity for forgiveness.
Surrender yourself into this process, as full release may need many rounds of forgiveness.
Simply repeat the process. Forgive the other. Forgive all who are involved. Forgive the situation, circumstance or event. Allow the negative energy surrounding the situation to dissipate from all who are involved regardless of their involvement.
Repeat this several times. You will feel lighter. You may even cry. Crying is helpful. Crying is release. Crying is letting go.
Repeat the entire process. Forgive yourself. Forgive the other. Then continue this cycle until the negative energy has been released.
This is freedom. This is a gift that you can give yourself at any time.
Forgiveness is for you. And you deserve the very best feelings in your life.
May God Bless you and your family this holiday season.
Namaste 🙏
Related Post: Give the Gift of Acceptance
What have you found helpful in forgiving others?