Day 20 – Miraculous Forgiveness

“To be wronged is nothing, unless you continue to remember it.” —Confucius

Miraculous Forgiveness

Today our meditation and discussion focus on the gifts of forgiveness. If we want to experience loving, life-long relationships, we need to be able to let go of grievances, hostility, and anger. These feelings keep us mired in the past and weighed down with emotional pain. Ultimately, forgiveness is a gift we give to ourselves. It is an act of grace that restores the memory of wholeness.

It’s important to remember that forgiving is different from condoning an action that created pain for us or for others. Healthy relationships require healthy boundaries and are an important part of loving and honoring ourselves and each other. We can practice forgiveness even when we have chosen to discontinue a relationship due to unacceptable behavior. Sometimes we have to forgive someone many times before we finally let go of all the emotional residue of the past. Once we take steps to restore peace in our heart, we will feel a shift. We will feel lighter as we expand our capacity for love, compassion, and healing.

Our centering thought for today is:

“Forgiveness is for me. Forgiveness sets me free.”

Our Sanskrit mantra for today is:

“Om Vardhanam Namah.” I nourish the universe, and the universe nourishes me. 

MINDFUL MOMENT

Is there someone in your life you that you have not forgiven? In many cases, the person we most need to forgive is ourselves. Today have the intention to practice forgiveness. Encourage even the slightest hints of forgiveness, release, and compassion. If feelings of hurt and anger arise, tell yourself, I am willing to see this situation with love. I am willing to let go. Be gentle and patient with yourself as you hold the intention to heal and forgive. — Deepak & Oprah

Forgiveness is freedom. Let go, and set yourself free.

Notes:
Begin with recognition of what has happened to you.
Hug your ego.
Don’t worry about righting a wrong, vengence, or seeking personal justice with a vendetta.
Your higher self works with the universe to take care of a wrong against you.
Karma is good like that.
Your ego’s view or hurt feelings is less than the whole of the universe’s design.

Live love in the present moment. There is beauty here. As you are choosing to forgive you are choosing freedom for your soul. Freeing from attachments to the past and the binds we have put around our heart. This is an essential natural process. Each time we let go, we let in peace, we let in well being, we let in love, we let in new happenings, we let in new people, places and things into our lives. We let in liberation.

We let in healing for our mind, body, and soul. Forgiveness is a key instrument in our holistic tool-kits.

As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.” He also said,

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”

It takes courage to forgive. And it takes strength to walk away from a situation that is only damaging to your psyche.

Today, access how you forgive, if at all. How can you open up to the healing benefits of forgiveness? Is there someone in your life who is deserving of it? Is there someone whom you could forgive that would be deserving to yourself?

 

Forgiveness is for me. Forgiveness will set me free. Namaste.  

 

 

 

Which special gifts and abilities are you neglecting?

I’ve written it before and said it a million times, if you have a natural talent, use it! Practice it! Hone it!

Don’t neglect your abilities.

“Step into the flow of creativity or other favourite activities where worry and self-consciousness cease to exist. When our hearts are open, it is easy and a great pleasure to share and be of service. Celebrate and get out and play in the sunshine. Sing, dance, make love, let your creativity run free. Shine on!” – Joanna.

I have forgotten to have fun. I have forgotten to draw. I have forgotten to live spherically, in many directions.

I have neglected my ability to be whimsical and embrace my childish enthusiasms. I’ve grown far too serious. I have neglected my joyous Sister Otter.

It is time to remember my art, my verve for climbing trees, playing games, swinging, and licking ice creme cones.

It is time for some “Under the Tuscan Sun” therapy!

Off I go!

Namaste!

Solar question posed by Caitlin Matthews, Celtic Devotional.
Photo of the Sun by Joanna Powell Colbert, creatrix of the Gaian Tarot.

Who do you need to forgive most?

First of all, to forgive does not mean the wrongs against you havn’t happened. Let me be clear.

However, it takes grit to be mature enough, and loving enough to forgive. To be able to wish the ones who have hurt you well, is a true test of character and humanity.

You may feel that, while pondering the people who have wounded you, that the past is overwhelming. You may also feel it would be too hard to forgive. But, in the end, living a life filled with resentment can be more painful than the struggle of the suffering to begin with.

And how will you forgive? It starts by forgiving yourself first of any wrong doing on your part, and apologizing. Then the forgiveness comes because within a sincere apology is forgiveness.

By taping into your inner well of compassion, you will find that everyone is worthy of forgiveness. Don’t allow your past to dictate the present, nor let it dictate your future.  Have the courage to swim ahead and leave the past behind.

You are strong enough.

“I embrace my one true path.”- Joanna

Solar Question posed by Caitlin Matthews, Celtic Devotional.
Photo of the Eight of Water by Joanna Powell Colbert, creatrix of the Gaian Tarot.

What old story are you telling against yourself? What new story awaits to be told?

I have said it before, sometimes we are our own worst enemy, and negative self-talk is the number one depressant in America.

All of us can admit to being self-deprigating from time to time, but we should be cautious and kind to not be too hard on ourselves.

I’m pretty guilty of this one myself, being quite the perfectionist. So, what stories do I tell against myself? “You can do better,” is one. “Am I good enough?” and “I need to learn from my mistakes” happen to be others.

The Ten of Air, shows insight into how I negative self-talk. I am prone to nostalgic moments of trauma. They wash over me, and I replay them over and over, hoping to learn something that I havn’t quite grasped upon yet. This is a double edged sword, because for all the insight, it still brings on depression. The Ten of Air, by showing me this, asks me gently to surrender and stop holding on to these memories.

The new story that awaits me, is a much better tale. Seven of water tells of a time to narrow my options, pick amongst my desires, and follow my bliss. To “drink deep, and let my well be filled.” It paints a very good story. One where by moving away from my traumatic past, I will be able to open my heart up to my dream.

I like that.

There is great healing to be had my dear sweet ones, if we only allow ourselves. It is attainable. We can’t always be so hard on ourselves, it only exasperates the suffering we have already sustained. Too much our hearts have been through. We need not make it any worse.

Solar questions posed by Caitlin Matthews, Celtic Devotional.
Photos of the (left)Ten of Air, and (right)Seven of Water.