Dear Friends,
This week’s message concludes my three-part series on forgiveness, and how the act of forgiving enhances your ability to be open and receptive to the guidance of the divine—to the kind of guidance that can help you fulfill your heart’s desires with effortless ease.
But consider this: Even if a forgiving attitude did not increase your ability to be divinely guided, you would still be well advised to maintain that kind of compassionate mindset. Why? Because forgiveness directly affects your ability to enjoy life and be happy!
I will never forget the moment I first came to understand the relationship between forgiveness and happiness. Many years ago there was someone in my life whom I deeply resented. One evening, I was sitting in my car feeling absolutely miserable because of the perceived offense this man had committed against me.
All of a sudden, I recognized that—on a certain level—I actually believed that I was punishing that person by bearing a grudge against him. And yet, the truth was, he probably had no idea how much I resented him. And if he did know, he probably didn’t care!
There I was, sitting in my car feeling angry and upset, while that man was walking down a street somewhere whistling a happy tune! That’s when it dawned on me that I needed to forgive that person for my sake . . . not his! I finally understood that forgiving is primarily for giving myself the freedom to be happy again!
There is a great old saying that sums up this idea perfectly:
“Not forgiving someone is like drinking poison
and expecting the other person to die.”
That’s exactly what I had been doing up to that point—trying to make someone else suffer by doing something that was only hurting me!
Friends, I invite you to get honest with yourself . . . really honest. Are you refusing to forgive someone in your life because part of you believes that you are punishing that person with your resentment? And perhaps more importantly, how is that working for you? Are you, in fact, the one who is actually suffering because of that negative emotional tie?
Perhaps it is time for you to stop giving that person power over your emotions. Perhaps it is time for you to forgive that person, and allow yourself to be happy again.
Steven
© 2010 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
www.rowrowrow.com
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