August 27th, 2007
The Power Of Forgiving - Pt 4
How did you do with last week’s assignment to allow your emotions to flow and to accept full responsibility for you emotions? It is a difficult process to begin, but it does get easier with time. Once you are feeling comfortable with that step, you can move on to the next step in forgiveness.
The next step in forgiving is to be able to see the hurtful words and/or actions in a different way – to reframe the situation in a more helpful way. Changing your view of the situation requires the ability to broaden your perspective and use applied faith. This means being able to recognize that everything that happens to you holds a seed for opportunity and growth. All of your life experiences provide an opportunity to learn and grow – emotionally and spiritually. Successful reframing of a painful event or action leads to the ability to say (perhaps only silently) “thank you for giving me this experience and opportunity to learn and grow.” It is possible to reach this place of forgiveness whether you were a victim of a horrible crime or simply upset at your best friend for forgetting your birthday.
If you doubt your own ability to forgive or believe that what happened to you is far too big to forgive, I suggest you read accounts of others who have been able to forgive after experiencing horrific atrocities. Victor Frankel (concentration camp survivor), Nelson Mandela (anti-apartheid activist imprisoned for 27 years), and Imaculee Ilibagiza (survivor of the Rwandan genocide) are all shining examples of the power of forgiveness. When people who have survived such horrendous acts of violence can learn to forgive, I believe that we each have a responsibility to work toward making forgiveness a way of life. As more people practice forgiveness, we will see a positive change in the health of individuals, families, communities and nations.
I hope this article has helped you make a decision to let go of your grudges and forgive. You will be surprised by how free you feel once you forgive. It is worth the effort! If you have any questions about forgiveness, please email me or leave a comment here.
Until next month…
Kirsten
