Forgiving is For Giving

September 12, 2010

Dear Friends,

A few weeks ago I wrote a three-part series on forgiveness. I decided that those messages would make a good topic for one of the talks I now present every Sunday morning here in Sedona.

As I prepared for that talk, I ended up adding three more reasons why it is beneficial to forgive. Plus, I was inspired to present those reasons using the same wordplay that occurred to me while I was composing the final message in my original three-part series: Forgiving is for giving. That is, it’s for giving yourself five different gifts.

This week I want to share all five of those gifts with you, to deepen your understanding of the many wonderful benefits of forgiveness.

Gift #1. Forgiving is for giving yourself the freedom to be happy again.

As long as you bear a grudge against someone you will be unhappy—feeling frustrated, bitter, or angry. You will be suffering, while the person you resent might not even be aware that you resent him or her . . . or care! When you forgive, you stop giving that person power over how you feel. You break that negative emotional tie, and free yourself to be happy again.

Gift #2. Forgiving is for giving yourself the ability to be attuned to divine wisdom.

When you harbor resentments, you are in ego—that judgmental state of mind that not only causes you to feel separate from others, but also causes you to feel separate from any kind of Higher Power. When you forgive, you reconnect with that Higher Power—returning to a state of mind that is once again open and receptive to divine insights, inspiration, and intuitive direction.

Gift #3. Forgiving is for giving yourself valuable insights about yourself.

Sometimes the person whom you need to forgive is actually “mirroring” a behavioral trait that you may have, but don’t want to consciously admit. If you are willing to “look in that mirror,” you may see something within yourself that needs healing. For instance, you may discover a long-neglected emotional wound that has been causing you to behave in unproductive ways. But now that it’s revealed, you have the opportunity to heal that wound through a little self-love . . . as well as the opportunity to see that person who is your “mirror image” in a more compassionate light.

Gift #4. Forgiving is for giving yourself the ability to enjoy the peace that exists in the here and now moment.

Whatever it is that is causing you to feel resentful, happened in the past, right? Perhaps it was only yesterday, but it still happened in the past. By harboring those negative feelings, you are keeping the past alive. Generally, the now moment is pretty peaceful. But you rob yourself of that peace by dwelling on something that is not actually happening in the here and now. If you want to be able to enjoy the peace of the present, let go of the past through forgiveness.

Gift #5. Forgiving is for giving yourself the power to create a different future.

The future is formed in the present, through the thoughts and feelings that you are having right this minute. If you have dragged the past into the present through unforgiveness, then it is highly likely that you will create a future that is just like the past. If you want a different future, forgive what happened in the past—let go of it—and open yourself up to the infinite possibilities that exist when your mind is free of all prior influences.

There you have it, my friends: Five gifts of forgiveness. Why not give yourself every one of those gifts today?

Steven

P.S. I have another gift for you. It is a set of affirmation statements that you can use to help you forgive others, and help you forgive yourself, as well. To download my Love and Forgiveness Affirmations, just click here. (This is a PDF file, which most computers can easily open.)

© 2010 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
www.rowrowrow.com