A common theme that keeps popping up in my tarot-card readings is the Forgiveness card.
Why should we consider forgiveness?
First thing to understand is that when we forgive someone, we forgive for ourselves.
A quote by J.D. Jakes:
“I think the first step is to understand that forgiveness does not exonerate the perpetrator. Forgiveness liberates the victim. It’s a gift you give yourself.”
Forgiveness is a gift that we give ourselves, other wise it’s possible that we may never fully be able to give our entire self or our heart to any other individual fully.
We all have been hurt and I would venture to say, we have all hurt at least one person in our lifetime. When holding on to resentment, the only person who gets burned is the person harboring the anger.
It’s kind of like you holding onto a hot piece of hot coal expecting the other person to get burned.
Forgiveness frees us to move forward with our life and opens our heart up to fully love and be loved.
This has been an observation and something I believe most of us could use a little help with. Develop a practice to help us release pain, hurt and anger and let go.
Here’s a couple of suggestions of things I practice. Not that I’m perfect at these–that couldn’t be further from the truth but many of these tools have helped in difficult times and in difficult circumstances.
When all consumed in my own issues, it was once suggested to me by my Yoga Teacher to do service work. When I’m spending time with someone in need–this can be just a visit to someone who is lonely or is suffering with an illness–I suddenly feel my problems seem to disappear. I’m not so self absorbed because my focus is on helping the other individual work through their pain.
When you see that person smile, it helps to brings feelings of joy.
Another tool is to write a letter to the person I feel anger or resentment towards, letting all my raw emotions filter onto the paper. When I have completed the letter, I burn it, letting go and giving it to the Universe God.
Helpful books:
– “Let it Go-Forgive so you can be Forgiven.” by J.D. Jakes
– “A 7- Step Program for Letting go of Anger and Bitterness.” by Dr. Eileen R. Borris-Dunchunstang
Reconnect with your spirit. Prayers seem to help release resentment. You can try praying for someone thirty days in a row. This seems to lessen the burden. Sometimes these things take a little time.
When you’re successful doing this, you will not only feel a love for that person who did you wrong, you will feel a profound feeling of loving yourself.
