More on the Power of Forgiveness
Sooner or later, we all have to learn to forgive. Forgiveness is a powerful tool and a way to become happier, healthier and encourage your personal growth. We must forgive others as well as ourselves and seek forgiveness when necessary. We may not be aware of every wrong doing that requires forgiveness. Furthermore, some of our actions are locked in the subconscious mind, just like all aspects of our past lives. God knows that you are not aware of your past mistakes. You will be given many opportunities to seek forgiveness and, more importantly, to grant forgiveness.
Learning how to forgive is not as easy as it sounds since forgiveness happens on many levels. First you have to consciously come to the realization that you need to forgive. Then you must embrace the memory or experience that has caused you pain, accept it and consciously forgive. Tell yourself whatever experiences have happened in your life happened for a reason and have made you the person who you are today. Embrace all those painful moments, embrace all those happy moments, as they were all necessary in your journey.
Once you have openly embraced each experience, let go of the past. Let go of the painful memories, let go of the emotions, let go of the weight you have been carrying on your shoulders. Then with a smile, consciously forgive and move on. This may take time, as true forgiveness may not happen all at once. Tell yourself as many times a you need to that “I have forgiven”; “everything happens for a reason”; “I have accepted it, I have moved on.” You may need many (and frequent) reminders to steer your free will in the right direction. If you have to go one step further and ask for forgiveness than do so. Once you have forgiven, move on. Do not hold onto any pain or negative feelings.
Psychotherapists also use forgiveness as a powerful tool for healing. Many of us suffer from mental and psychosomatic symptoms. These are physical conditions or symptoms that have been brought on or aggravated by the mind (a mental or emotional conflict). For example, a traumatic experience as a child can manifest as chronic physical disease. Quite often when therapists show their patients how to forgive and let go, their illnesses begin to disappear. In some cases past life regression therapy can be considered if the root problem originated in a past life. There are many respected doctors and scientists like Dr. Brian Weiss, Michael Newton and Ian Stevenson who use past life therapy to heal.
According to James Carson of Duke University Medical Center, there is a direct relationship between chronic back pain and forgiveness. He found that individuals who were suffering from severe back pain could actually reduce their pain, anger and depression if they had forgiven others. Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard University has created an entire course on forgiveness and good health. He believes that there is a physiological response of healing when individuals forgive.
There are many different levels of consciousness. Some of us are young souls and some of us are older. When a child does something crazy, the parent will forgive and move on. There is only so much awareness a child has. Older souls are at a higher level of consciousness. Because of this higher level of awareness, it’s actually to your benefit to forgive. Someone with no awareness does not know how to forgive, but if an older soul forgives, they can benefit everyone by actually breaking an old cycle of many lives and moving on. You will be ridding yourself of a big weight that you have been carrying.
Earth is a school of learning. We have all signed up for several different and unique lessons. Before we take birth, we have the opportunity to assess which areas we need to improve in (learn the most). Each one of us has different strengths and weaknesses. Our family members, relationships, friends, successes and disappointments all help us learn. Forgiveness is one of the greatest lessons to learn. It is also necessary for spiritual enlightenment. Through forgiving you can break the cycle of negative karma, pain and retaliation, which we have all been experiencing for several lifetimes.
Many prophets, mystics, enlightened masters and other great personalities have emphasized the importance of forgiveness. This allows us to live in the moment with spiritual awareness. You will experience tremendous personal and spiritual growth once you learn how to forgive.
