Forgiveness is the hardest of all heart-centred qualities to embody, and yet it is the most powerful and most protective. “For giving,” means the angst, pain, rage, resentment, and the desire for vengeance are not for us to carry or hold on to, as this closes our hearts, and creates divisiveness – an “us and them” mentality. Instead, our suffering is for giving. Whether we understand this as giving away to a mysterious power beyond our minds’ thought stories or as mindset releasing technique, doesn’t actually matter. This is because the art and practice of for-giveness means we choose to give away our suffering. When we do, the mind surrenders and begins to empty. We become aware of the present moment, the here and now, rather than mired in feelings and thoughts of the past or the future – which do not exist.
As we practice for-giving, the protective armour grows in and around us, and we begin to notice that things which once bothered us don’t stick as easily. Forgiveness lightens the energetic field of our hearts, and allows us to free ourselves. This in turn, has a positive influence on those around us as well.
It is extremely important to understand some key points about the art and practice of forgiveness:
1. Forgiveness does not mean we justify or defend the actions, words or behaviours that caused the pain.
2. Forgiveness does not mean we re-friend those who have hurt us, unless it feels undeniably aligned in our hearts.
3. Forgiveness does not mean we don’t feel the pain. We must feel in order to release.
4. Forgiveness is similar to sanding out a gouge in a wooden table; it requires numerous passes with gritty sand paper before the gouge is smoothed over. And we often need to take many breaks from the sanding.
5. Forgiveness should not be, and cannot be forced – it requires a willingness to release and surrender.
We are all warriors of love and peace when we courageously feel our hearts break time and time again, when we collapse into our tears, and wonder how we will heal. Forgiveness is the invisible force that helps us get up off our knees, stand, and take another step forward into our lives.
Live now. Life is precious.