The Power of Forgiveness
If you are looking for a way to become happier, healthier and encourage your personal growth, then you have to use the power of forgiveness.
Sooner or later, we all have to learn to forgive. We are not aware of every wrongdoing that requires forgiveness. Our negative acts, like all aspects of our past lives, are locked in the subconscious mind. 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, forgiveness happens on many levels. First you have to consciously come to the realization that you have to forgive. Then go back in your life and embrace each experience consciously. Tell yourself whatever happened in your life happened for a reason. Embrace all those painful moments, embrace all those happy moments. Tell yourself as many times as you must that everything that has happened, was for a reason and I must accept it.
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. You must 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 continue the old cycle of pain and retaliation.
Psychotherapists often use forgiveness as a powerful tool to help their patients to heal. Sometimes we can be suffering from mental and psychosomatic (aggravated by mental conflict and manifest in the body) symptoms. These can be painful experiences that one may have experienced in their earlier years which can manifest as chronic physical diseases. Quite often when a psychotherapist shows their patients how to forgive, their illness begins to disappear. Sometimes past life regression therapy must 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.
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/study/learn the most. Each one of us has different strengths and weaknesses. Our family members, relationships, friends, success 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 been experiencing for several lifetimes
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 the older soul forgives you are actually breaking an old cycle of many lives and moving on. You will be getting rid of a big weight that you have been carrying with you!
Many prophets, mystics, enlightened masters and other great personalities have emphasized on 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!
Here is a simple exercise that will help you with forgiving. Take a pen and paper and make a note of the following. Sit in silence and go back to your childhood memories in your mind. Make a note of all the good times, bad times, moments with your family members, friends and strangers. Also try to remember and make a mental note of all the relationships you have had in your life. Relationships with your family members, parents, brothers, sisters and all of your extended family members. Remember all the relationships you had with your partners during your lifetime. Now write down the names of all these people that you have communicated with at some point in your life.
Now at night, 15 minutes before you go to sleep (or any other time that is good for you),
Sit in silence and start this forgiveness ritual by saying..."I would like to forgive all of these people" Repeat this 5 times! Then take your list of names and repeat each name one by one. Once you finish all the names say "I also want to forgive myself" (five times). Then say a little forgiveness request prayer by saying "I also ask all of you to forgive me" (five times). You can than sit in silence (meditate) for a few minutes and than go to sleep. Repeat this exercise every day for two weeks and you will feel a difference!
Written by Mohmood Valimohamed
