COMPASSION AND FORGIVENESS ARE SIGNS OF STRENGTH

Life can get messy.  We hurt others.  Sometimes unknowingly.  Sometimes repeatedly.  Sometimes even while trying our best NOT to hurt them. 

But we also get hurt by others, and these situations are normally what we remember more clearly.

We easily hold onto our hurt, anger or bitterness, even cling to it at times.  We harbour and nurture these, taking great care of it so that it can serve as a reminder of the “wrong” that we have endured.

Sadly, all this gets us is more bitterness, more rejection, and more pain.  You see, the longer we cling to these caustic emotions, the more they mould and shape who we are and how we view ourselves and the world.

This makes me think of changing my kids’ diapers when they were little.  I don’t recall much about the cost of diapers or frequency they needed to be changed.  What I remember most was their resistance to being changed.  Crying, desperate wiggling, arching of their little backs… It seemed they preferred to linger in the foul smell and acidic poop than being refreshed and cleaned up.  

Many of us have the same resistance when it comes to pardoning others (or yourself!).  We are aware of the damaging effect it has on our physical and mental wellness, but we resist. 

Some people feel that forgiving another who has wronged you is a sign that you are condoning their actions towards you, a sign of weakness on your part. 

But this could not be further from the truth!  You are not giving away your power, on the contrary, this is you empowering yourself MORE!  Forgiving is more beneficial for you than for the person on the receiving end. 

In the work we do, forgiveness is IMPERATIVE FOR HEALING!  So many dis-eases today manifest because of the choice to NOT forgive.  In order to heal (physically, mentally and spiritually), we have to forgive.

If you chose unforgiveness, you chose to remain stuck.

That might sound harsh, and not everyone is ready to hear it.  And that’s okay.  We are all on our own healing and wholeness journey, and ours should never be compared to another’s!

So what does choosing to forgive mean?  For starters, it means you have CONQUERED the part of yourself that so desperately seeks to hold on to your identity of pain.  Conquering self takes strength, courage and discipline.  But the reward is bountiful!

You deserve to live a life filled with the freedom that comes from forgiving, don’t you?  It might seem daunting, but I know YOU CAN do it!