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Today, we’re diving deeper into the powerful practice of forgiveness, specifically focusing on forgiving others who have wronged us in the past. Forgiveness is not something we do for the other person, but rather an act of self-care. Holding onto resentment, anger, and hurt towards someone can consume a lot of mental energy and can prevent us from moving forward in our own lives. It can weigh us down and hold us back from experiencing true joy and peace.
Forgiving others doesn’t mean you are saying what they did was okay, it means you are choosing to let go of the negative emotions that are holding you back. It is a release of the past and allows us to make room for something new and better in our lives.
One of my favorite teaching stories about forgiveness is that of a native American grandfather. He tells his grandson, “In my heart, I have a terrible anger, an anger that burns like fire. It is an anger I have carried for many years, for many generations. I am angry with my people for the many wrongs that have been done to them, and I am angry with the wrongs that my people have done to others.” He went on to say “I have come to understand that this anger is like a heavy burden that I must carry with me all my days. It causes me pain, and I cannot bear it alone. So, I have decided to forgive.” He then took a piece of paper, wrote on it the name of the person he was angry with, folded it and put it in his pocket. He told his grandson, “Every day I wake up and remind myself that I have forgiven this person. And I carry this piece of paper with me everywhere I go as a reminder.”
This story is a reminder of the power of forgiveness in letting go of the past and carrying forward. It doesn’t mean you forget the wrongdoing, but it means you choose to not let it define you and your actions in the future. Today, I challenge you to think about something you have been holding onto, something that has been causing you pain, and consider letting it go through the practice of forgiveness. It will not only bring you peace, but also open up space for new and better things to come in your life.
Action:
Write a letter to someone who wronged you. The purpose is not to project your reality of the situation onto them, but to declare that you have let it go. Announce to the universe this is not something that will hold you in a mental loop any longer.
You do not need to send this letter (although you can if you wish). Just the process of writing and letting it go is enough to make space.
Bonus:
Meditate on letting this go and then send that person love by saying “I send love to you my sister/brother.” Visualize negative energy releasing as space frees in your body and mind.