Forgiveness
Usually this time of year gives me cause to write about the change of seasons, service, family, giving thanks, or new resolutions. However, this post is a little of all of those things strung together in a very different light. As I get closer to celebrating another year of my life, I am reminded of a phrase that a dear friend shared with me a few years back and said to me, reminded me, and drilled into me, many, many times during a very challenging and difficult time in my life. However it is a phrase that has helped me turn difficult days into hurdles and challenging thoughts into deep breaths and fleeting moments.
That simple phrase is peace through strength.
As we move through life, we all have days that are more challenging than others. Sometimes, they seem to run into weeks and/or months. So I write this hoping to find a little more peace for me and the hope that others that may run across this post will find this as a reminder of how easy it can be to let go of the burdens that drag us down (sometimes into the depths of despair) if we can simply think peace through strength. Sometimes I need to say it more than once to feel the shift, but it's there, it happens, when I say those three words.
As I find myself once again, thinking and saying this phrase more frequently again, it reminds me that we have all learned and patterned our lives in judgement and comparisons to find value in ourselves and it is not easy to stray against those thoughts and feelings, validations or lack thereof. I know I often need to remind myself to release and let go of those judgements and negative thoughts and let nature take its course and by doing so, I realize that a big step in doing that is forgiveness. Forgiveness not only to others, but to ourselves. We need to forgive the people who have hurt or harmed us over the course of our lives. Forgiveness may offer an opportunity to reestablish damaged relationships, or it may help clear our souls of old wounds. Forgiveness can be very powerful, but isn't always an easy thing to give, especially to ourselves.
The simple act of forgiving those who have wronged us can repair the rift that developed and free us from the heaviness in our hearts. The pain we carry builds over time, becoming a burden that weighs heavily on our souls and prevents us from relating to others in a healthy way. Forgiveness is a means of dropping this burden of harmful thoughts and replacing it with equanimity and compassion. Once we have given the gift of our forgiveness, we are free to build new relationships that are distinct from what was damaged or to move forward unimpeded by past wrongdoings. Forgiveness is a buoy that lifts the spirit and clears the mind. In forgiving others, we will be able to heal ourselves and free ourselves from the weight of our grudges.
As I think of what is needed to forgive others, I am reminded that for me, I need to start with forgiving myself. I am not perfect, not even close to it and I find myself placing blame solely on me first before going to anyone else that may have contributed. I have never been the type to hold a grudge, but I know it is easy to do. I hope you may feel driven today to forgive or let go of a grudge you have held. Whether you make a list of individuals whom you feel resentful toward because of past grievances or feel more comfortable offering forgiveness in your own soul today than actually confronting hurtful people from your past, forgiving each in your heart will likely help you step out onto the path of healing.
My parting thought: Forgiving = Peace and through Peace....comes Strength
That simple phrase is peace through strength.
As we move through life, we all have days that are more challenging than others. Sometimes, they seem to run into weeks and/or months. So I write this hoping to find a little more peace for me and the hope that others that may run across this post will find this as a reminder of how easy it can be to let go of the burdens that drag us down (sometimes into the depths of despair) if we can simply think peace through strength. Sometimes I need to say it more than once to feel the shift, but it's there, it happens, when I say those three words.
As I find myself once again, thinking and saying this phrase more frequently again, it reminds me that we have all learned and patterned our lives in judgement and comparisons to find value in ourselves and it is not easy to stray against those thoughts and feelings, validations or lack thereof. I know I often need to remind myself to release and let go of those judgements and negative thoughts and let nature take its course and by doing so, I realize that a big step in doing that is forgiveness. Forgiveness not only to others, but to ourselves. We need to forgive the people who have hurt or harmed us over the course of our lives. Forgiveness may offer an opportunity to reestablish damaged relationships, or it may help clear our souls of old wounds. Forgiveness can be very powerful, but isn't always an easy thing to give, especially to ourselves.
The simple act of forgiving those who have wronged us can repair the rift that developed and free us from the heaviness in our hearts. The pain we carry builds over time, becoming a burden that weighs heavily on our souls and prevents us from relating to others in a healthy way. Forgiveness is a means of dropping this burden of harmful thoughts and replacing it with equanimity and compassion. Once we have given the gift of our forgiveness, we are free to build new relationships that are distinct from what was damaged or to move forward unimpeded by past wrongdoings. Forgiveness is a buoy that lifts the spirit and clears the mind. In forgiving others, we will be able to heal ourselves and free ourselves from the weight of our grudges.
As I think of what is needed to forgive others, I am reminded that for me, I need to start with forgiving myself. I am not perfect, not even close to it and I find myself placing blame solely on me first before going to anyone else that may have contributed. I have never been the type to hold a grudge, but I know it is easy to do. I hope you may feel driven today to forgive or let go of a grudge you have held. Whether you make a list of individuals whom you feel resentful toward because of past grievances or feel more comfortable offering forgiveness in your own soul today than actually confronting hurtful people from your past, forgiving each in your heart will likely help you step out onto the path of healing.
My parting thought: Forgiving = Peace and through Peace....comes Strength
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