Cleaning Out Your Attic: The Fundamental Advantage Of Forgiveness
Have you noticed that it's much easier to clean your house when you're mad at someone? Of course, it could be because the anger is motivating you to get things off your mind and into a box — but it may also be because forgiveness is a fundamental advantage. In other words, being angry with somebody can actually make us feel better.
So what does that mean for the person who holds onto their pain and anger? It means they are stuck feeling bad day after day after day. The only way to shrug off those feelings of negativity for good is by forgiving.
Why forgiveness?
Well, because when you see that your negative beliefs are harming others you can choose to let it go. This simple choice enables you to feel better and let the old negative beliefs — which just aren't working in your life anymore — go. This frees up energy for your personal growth, development and progress.
By forgiving you put the power of healing, transformation and positive change into motion. It's this positive movement that starts to transform those old negative beliefs into new beliefs that continue to bring fresh perspective, clarity and ultimately happiness into your life.
It's the only way you can finally go in the right direction, towards your dreams and goals.
How not to forgive?
There are many ways we don't forgive: by not noticing our negative beliefs, by fighting against them, by insisting they're true (which makes us feel worse), by not having clarity around what forgiveness really is, and most of all simply by procrastinating. The longer you wait to forgive the longer you will continue to suffer. You'll need more and more energy just to get through your day reacting to past hurts instead of living into your future. You'll be stuck reliving the same crap over and over again.
Take a look at all your old negative beliefs. They may have slipped by unnoticed for so long but now it's time to pay attention and get rid of them once and for all.
It's time to lay those demons to rest! Even the ones you've been carrying around for years — or decades — if they keep hurting you and others around you, it's time to forgive them once and for all so that you can move on with your life.
You may want to take a few minutes to close your eyes and just breathe as you think of these negative beliefs. Then find a way to let them go. It can be that simple.
The same goes for all your current struggles, fears, doubts and worries. They don't serve you anymore so it's time to say goodbye and move on!
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No Two People Are The Same: Advantages Of Forgiveness
It's important to realize that no two people are the same and each person will have different advantages when it comes to gaining from forgiveness.
We're all unique in our ways, looks, experiences and insights. Why then would we limit ourselves to the same beliefs and thoughts? We're different.
Think about the differences in your life — how bad or good it can be for you. Look around at others and make note of their stories — what are some of the differences that affect them? What do you notice? What is it about their lives that keeps them happy or well-mentored? Why are they different from you? Forgiveness could be just that difference.
We can't always change other people but we can always give them a new gift from within. In being open to the differences in others we can learn how to apply this new knowledge for our own growth and development.
As we look at the differences in your life and those of others, do you notice that the more difficult it is for you, the more difficult it is for others? For example, if you're having a tough time with your finances, others may be having a lot of trouble too. If you're stressed out at work or aren't making as much money as you'd like, other people may be going through similar struggles and giving up on their dreams. What can you learn from that? That when things get tough — even when they're not working out so well — forgiveness might be just what the doctor ordered. When in doubt, forgiveness — even when you're having a hard time — might be a good thing.
Why? Because it's about giving others the same gift we all need: a peace of mind and willingness to change, and becoming aware of our own tendencies and weaknesses so that we can apply this new knowledge into our lives.
Give. Allow the other person the gift of that new awareness. Be able to see them as they are today and not on some fixed definition of who they are or what they should be. Forgive and give them the gifts that will help their growth, development and happiness.
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Forgiveness And The Power Of Your Heart
We can't just speak about forgiveness — we need to experience it, feel it and know it for ourselves. Although there are known benefits for choosing to forgive others, that doesn't mean you're going to get all of them from the get-go. You may need a little help from your heart's intuition so that you can understand what and how forgiveness works best for your life.
You can do this by allowing yourself to be guided by your heart, which is definitely part of your intuition. Isn't that what telepathy is all about? We don't think in words or pictures — we think with the heart.
Think of your heart as your third eye, the eye in the middle of your forehead. So often most people are only thinking or speaking with their mind — that old bag of tricks that's been programmed by our past experiences and hurts. Our heart is always there for us but because we don't use it as much, we're not paying attention to what it's trying to tell us. It's trying to tell us how to live a life free from anxiety, fear and hurt — a life full of peace and joy. But we're distracted and so it ends up shutting down, becoming numb.
Is your heart trying to tell you something? Are you feeling confused, sad or upset? Did someone say something hurtful or were you just the recipient of a negative comment from someone else? Have the feelings from the past kept coming up that are taking over your life now? You may not be able to see it with your eyes, but there's a difference in your body that's standing out — an energy that says "Hey! Things are happening!" And even if we can't always hear these signals from our heart, we can still feel them as a big wave of emotion.
Conclusion: The first step to forgiveness is to allow yourself to feel the emotions that are coming up deep inside. Rather than pushing them away, let them out so that you can understand what your heart is telling you.
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The Biggest Reason For Forgiving Others
You may have heard all the reasons for forgiving others but perhaps you haven't heard one of the biggest — or at least more obvious — reasons for choosing to forgive: You'll feel better about yourself!
Have you ever noticed how much more energy and happiness you have when something bad doesn't happen? You'll be able to live in peace, knowing that your mind, body and spirit are without tension or stress.