Forgiveness Empowers

“Anger and blaming others takes a lot of energy away from healing. One of the most powerful emotions that has to be expressed is forgiveness.”
~Candace Pert~

 

Anger and resentment are a waste of your precious energy. They drain vitality and ease from your life experience and harm no one but yourself. This energy can be transformed into strength through gratitude, meditation, mindfulness and a conscious choice to be free from the past.
The spiritual path calls upon us to reside fully in life, as it is in this moment. If there are pains that you carry, do not feel that you must push them down or deny them; rather, bring them to the light of your consciousness and transform them through acceptance and forgiveness. Reinterpret the past through the filters of your current state of awareness and you may discover that freedom is at hand.
Forgiveness is not about the other. It is a gift that you give to yourself. There is no need for physical closure or a meeting of the minds (though these may occur naturally in time), just a quiet peace in the present moment that will open your ability to love, trust and believe once again in the beauty and mystery of life.

Live in Service

“You are never a real guru until you understand that you are serving others and delivering them to the light.”

~Robin Sacredfire~

There are many ways to inspire change; however, true transformation always begins within. Whether you see yourself as an artist, teacher, server, leader or peacekeeper, your life is your message. Every act of love has purpose and power within it. Discover the joy of sharing your light in unusual ways – all are magnificent, all are unique.

Expansion of consciousness allows us to experience the extraordinary within the mundane. You are the bridge between spirit and form and must often lead the way through darkness. Use the stepping stones of the past as sparks of inspiration. Your life experiences have been profound and necessary for your evolution.

Awakening frees us from limiting patterns and beliefs. As you view the journey from a higher perspective, it becomes possible to discern a clear purpose. Hold yourself to a higher standard, yet be gentle as you fumble your way towards enlightenment.

Offer a loving hand. Forgive those who have harmed you, whether knowingly or unknowingly, and be willing to accept the grace that rains down upon you from all dimensions.

Anger

“If you understand it, the world is a great device to make you more conscious. Your enemy is your friend, and the curses are blessings, and the misfortunes can be turned into fortunes. It depends only on one thing: if you know the key of awareness.”
~Osho~

Anger can be a transformational tool of enlightenment. It shows us where we have attached to an outcome and is the exact opposite of ego-driven happiness. Suppressing anger is unhealthy because it will often manifest later as physical illness, depression, passive/aggression or uncontrollable rage. Justifying anger is the ego’s way of getting you to believe the thoughts about a situation, with the attachment to being right. Anger disrupts the ability to be at peace in the present moment.

So when anger arises, feel it. Sit with it and be still. Know that by focusing your attention to the energy while becoming aware of the feelings and the thoughts which drive it, you can free yourself from its constricting embrace.

In every moment we have a choice – to accept what is or to reject what is. Enlightenment calls upon us to view each situation as if we had consciously created it for our souls growth, for indeed on a higher level, we have. Everything offers an opportunity to awaken.

Forgiveness

“Looked at from a spiritual standpoint, our discomfort in any given situation provides a signal that we are out of alignment with spiritual law and are being given an opportunity to heal something.”
~Colin Tipping~

As long as there is one person whom you can’t forgive, there is still work to be done. Every circumstance in our experience has meaning and purpose. The small injustices, the betrayals and lingering disappointments all point to aspects of ourselves that need to be cleared in order for us to be free. 

Those who challenge you the most on the physical plane love you the most on a soul level. They are willing to risk losing your love and your goodwill to assist you in the most profound ways. Healing requires that we become consciously aware of our wounds. What better way than to generate an emotional upset that temporarily clouds your mind and your experience of joy? It grabs your attention and takes over. 

The moment you recognize that you are behaving in a unconscious manner, you become more conscious. Now you have the ability to shift your thoughts and attention toward balance and healing. Bless the challenges of your life for they take you places you would never dare to walk on your own and ultimately lead you to mastery, insight and a deeper experience of love.

Compassion

“We are all different. Don’t judge, understand instead.”
~Roy T. Bennett~

Everyone carries wounds that silently (or not so silently, in some cases) control their lives. Rather than turn and face these shadows, the ego-mind begins a story of wrongness that gets projected outward. As a distraction, judgment and blame create all-encompassing stories that can keep the personality busy for years. Over time, the mantra around “the other” gets stronger as the ego becomes entrenched in the role of fighter.

Healing these wounds takes conscious and consistent effort. The first step is to take ownership of what is being reflected. When attention turns inward, seek to remove the reactivity and criticism by seeing clearly. Here is a simple visualization:

  • Surround the person or situation with the pink light of unconditional love. Say, “In love, I offer forgiveness to all those who have ever harmed me, knowingly or unknowingly, in all times and spaces, places and dimensions.”
  • Surround the person or situation with the purple light of awareness. Say, “In humility, I ask forgiveness from all those whom I have ever harmed, knowingly or unknowingly, in all times and spaces, places and dimensions.”
  • Visualize calming blue light around all, saying, “I accept emotional healing wherever it is required, on every level of existence, in every cell, thought, dream or memory. And so it is.”

This process sets energy in motion. Empowerment fosters compassion. This is how we help one another to heal.

The Free Spirit

Our world is a playground of distraction. The mind gets lost in opinion, culture, status and drama and we must learn to rise above. The free spirit is one who is authentic and has discovered their own unique way of being in the world. They are untroubled in the midst of turmoil and seek to uplift those around them.

Be in the world but not of it. Learn how to harness the peace and power of Presence in this moment. Participate, but do not attach. Those who are willing to be receptive will discover much about themselves. As you enter the fullness of who you truly are, others will be drawn toward you. There is no greater privilege then to inspire awakening in another.

Strength is often demonstrated through gentleness. We are engaged in an ever-evolving dance with the Divine. Open the heart chakra, free yourself from distraction and honor the present moment by immersing yourself within it.

Spiritual growth ultimately brings the freedom and tranquility of heart that arises through forgiveness. Accept what is and live aligned with your truth. True, the world may ridicule or misunderstand you, but that too is part of the perfection of your journey.

 

Self Discovery

“Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at the moment.”
~Eckhart Tolle~

Awareness is the first phase of transformation. Observe yourself without judgment. Beyond preferences, stories of the past, future aspirations and limiting beliefs lies a field of awareness. You are far greater than the role you play in this life.

Should you notice something that you would like to heal or release, begin by simply seeing yourself clearly. Without criticism, express gratitude for the lesson the energy has brought into your experience. You may say something like, “Even though I may not be completely aware of its purpose in my growth, I am grateful for ____. Thank you for the role you have played in my development. I release you with love.”

The technique of using awareness, gratitude and love creates space for a transformation to occur. It turns emotional and spiritual healing from a human, ego-based struggle into a conscious, loving process. When your precious energy is no longer tied up in perceptions that reinforce limitation or lack, all that remains is an infinite field of pure potential.

Presence

“There is only one perpetrator of evil on the planet: human unconsciousness. That realization is true forgiveness. With forgiveness, your victim identity dissolves, and your true power emerges–the power of Presence. Instead of blaming the darkness, you bring in the light.”
~Eckhart Tolle~
Allow this moment to be the most transformative of your life.

The way to experience life fully is to bring your complete awareness to what is unfolding right now. This is the moment of transformation. Observe your thoughts and actions. Are they allowing you to be fully present with the experience or are they projected toward some future moment or desire?

When you focus your awareness on the Now, you’ll discover that you are right where you need to be. The lessons unfolding are perfect for the souls development and through complete acceptance, joy begins to expand throughout every aspect of your life. Embrace what is. You have chosen these experiences for the express purpose of accelerating your spiritual growth.

Take brief, frequent pauses often throughout the day to check your state of consciousness. 30 seconds of mindful breathing can help to align you with the present moment. Within the ebb and flow of life, you can choose to create a foundation of calmness, peace and empowerment,  the natural by-products of acceptance.

Love is the Absence of Judgment

Love and judgment cannot coexist in the same space. In our spiritual work, everything offers an opportunity to awaken; therefore, it’s imperative to release all resistance.

Judgment, whether directed at others or internalized, is a rejection of what is. It creates a filter that blocks us from experiencing love and balance and adds additional layers of conflict into our life situation.

To truly awaken, we must be willing to experience oneness in a world of difference. When we allow love to guide our interactions, it helps us see beyond the mechanisms of the ego to the commonality that connects us to one another.

What are your most cherished beliefs? These are often the very things we need to examine the most. If resistance arises around changing a viewpoint or expectation, then change is typically what is required. Love yourself enough to open to the power of transformation.

Appreciation

“Let’s lay down all our judging for appreciating. Let’s lay down our righteousness and just be together.”
~Ram Dass~

Spiritual awakening is a constant process of forgiveness. As long as there is still one person, governmental entity, business or circumstance that you can’t forgive, there is still work to be done.

What if you chose to find one thing to appreciate about each person who has ever been a challenge in your life? What if you chose only to speak about that positive thing when prompted to discuss him or her. What do you think would happen?

Life is a blend of dark and light. The contrasts we experience provide insight and wisdom we could never access if everything was one dimensional. Everything is multi-faceted; therefore, there is always an opportunity to find the good, assimilate the lesson or cultivate new strength, no matter what the circumstance.

Love who you are at this moment. Remember that you are a culmination of all that you have experienced. Everything and everyone has played a specific role in your awakening. When we overcome the addiction to blame we create a space in which we experience connectedness and Oneness with all life.