Forgiveness

               Often times when we speak of forgiveness our minds drift to those who have done us unrepeatable harm.  But to forgive is not only for those who have caused us the most wrong.  Forgiveness should also be practiced when it comes to the small things as well.  

            Yesterday a man intentionally pulled out in front of my path on the roadway.  To add further insult, the man who pulled out in front of me was in the passing lane and moving slower than the vehicles in the right lane.  I was angry.

            I pulled into the right lane to pass him.  As I did I noticed that his truck belonged to the city and had a vehicle registration number that I made my wife record as we passed.  “I’m going to call the city on him first thing Monday morning and report his ass!” I said. 

            The next morning I noticed the small piece of paper with the trucks I.D. sitting upon the kitchen table.  I found myself questioning the process of making a complaint.  “Do I really want to take the time to call the city and file a complaint?”

            “Yes, someone needs to teach that man a lesson!  Maybe next time he’ll think twice before he pulls out in front of traffic like that again.”

            But it’s the morning; a new day, and I begin everyday in prayer.  It’s that twenty minute meditation where I rediscover the art of forgiveness.

 

            Forgiveness is a release of resentment.  No matter how great or little the resentment, it still corrupts the spirit and that will eventually lead to physical ailments. 

 

            It’s not a question of right or wrong, it is only what it is.  “Oh, a man pulled out in front of me, and I slowed down.”  End of story.  Only when I allow my ego to become involved does anger become a part of the narrative.  Ego is choice; therefore I chose anger.  

            I don’t want to be anger.  I want to be love, so I choose again, and this time I choose to forgive.  That little piece of paper that was sitting on the kitchen table can be found in the trash can now.

FORGIVNESS AFFIRMATIONS by Louise Hay

 “You have a choice.  You can choose to stay stuck and bitter, or do yourself a favor by willingly forgiving the past and let it go.  And then move on to create a joyous fulfilling life.  You have the freedom to make your life anything you want it to be, because you have freedom of choice.” – Louise Hay

Daily affirmations are short positive declarations intended to change or affirm a belief.    Repeat an affirmation often and eventually the subconscious mind will accept that affirmation as truth.  Write affirmation(s) out on little post it notes and stick them to the mirror.  Look yourself in the eye and repeat them.

The door to my heart opens inwards.

I move through forgiveness to love.

As I change my thoughts, the world around me changes.

The past is over, so it has no power now.

The thoughts of this moment create my future.

It is no fun being a victim; I refuse to be helpless anymore.

I claim my own power.

I give myself the gift of freedom from the past and move with joy into the now.

There is no problem too big or too small that it cannot be solved with love.

I am ready to be healed, I am willing to forgive, and all is well.

I know that old negative patterns no longer limit me; I let them go with ease.

As I forgive myself, it becomes easier to forgive others.

I forgive myself for not being perfect; I am living the very best way I know how.

It is now safe for me to release all my childhood traumas and move into love.

I forgiver everyone in my past for all perceived wrongs; I release them with love.

All of the changes in life that lie before me are positive ones, and I am safe.

Second Chances

With the New Year rolling in, I thought writing about second chances would be appropriate.  So I typed, “Second chance” into a search engine, and I was over come by the amount of information that was available.  So if you’re looking for a second chance, you are not alone, buy no means. 

And why would you be?  After all, being human and second chances go hand in hand; there is no such thing as the perfect person. Our perfection is in being imperfect.  Without imperfection we would be rather boring, wouldn’t you think?  Kind of like a well-oiled machine where everything is mechanical.  The tone of ones voice, would sound alike, we would probably look alike, live in the same perfect home with no color, because color induces emotions, and it is emotions that set us apart. 

And we are emotional beings.  That is why color and tone play such a huge role in our healing.  It is also why there is such a great need for forgiveness.   Second chances are often a result of being forgiven.   The story of Jesus teaches us that even in death, after brutally beaten and hanging from a cross for hours that to live as the Creator intended, we must forgive; including such extreme acts against us such as the crucifixion of Jesus.  Forgiveness no matter what! 

Forgiveness is allowing your heart to let go of the hurt and pain that you or another persons actions may have caused.  

And yes, it is important to forgive yourself as well.  Forgiving is an essential component of any healing process, and its effects can be felt worldwide by others.  When you heal yourself, you heal the world.  I strongly prescribe to this belief that forgiveness is a gift shared by all.

Ho’ oponopono, a Hawaiian practice of forgiveness, has traditionally been used to heal the ill.  Ho’ oponopono means to make right.  I learned of the ritual from an article about a therapist who was using it to heal his patients in a mental institute, without ever seeing them.  Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len, psychologist, would study the inmates chart and then look within himself to see how he created that person’s illness.  As he healed himself, the patient improved as well.

“I was simply healing the part of me that created them,” he said.

In other words, the total world is of your creation.  Ho’ oponopono is taking total responsibility for your life; if it’s in your life, then it is your responsibility.  You simply need to create a mental picture of the person you need to forgive in your minds eye, and then from your heart you say these four things, “I am sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you.”

So now you know - this is your second chance.

 

 

Forgiving God

In the bible it says that God gave mankind the freedom to choose.  This choice when you get right down to it is a choice of good or evil.  So when you hear someone say that God does not exist because a loving God would not create all this death and destruction that we are seeing in this world, remember that mankind resides on Earth, where choices are being made everyday.

 

God did not create the chaos, we did.  If fluttering wings can create the wind, then why would it be so hard to believe that our thoughts and actions can spread, causing pain and suffering in others?

Anger, hate, jealousy, greed, revenge, envy, arrogance, resentment, superiority, self pity can all spread like wild fire.  Flipping someone the bird for cutting you off at a stop light, turns into a husband coming home and yelling at his kids for being child like, that in turn becomes a child bulling another at school, and so on and so forth.  Then we scratch our heads wondering why more kids are bringing guns to school.

But don’t blame God for this world He created.  It’s the world that you and I created!  Change begins by changing yourself.  And if hate can spread, so can love. 

 

Yet hating on other people seems to come easy to us humans.  I believe it is because love requires the act of forgiveness, and forgiveness isn’t always that easy.  I know everyone reading this can feel me on that one. 

 

You would think it would be the other way around though; easier to love than to hate; because everyone likes to be loved and accepted.  Who truly wants to feel sad and mad all the time? 

When we refuse to forgive someone, and we hold onto that hurt, it in turn decreases the love we are generating.  It’s like hanging a heavy wet towel on your shoulders; it feels heavy and weighs you down, except it is our spirit that carries the weight when we do not forgive others.  We have to release the hurt.

So, instead of blaming God for the world as it is today, look within yourself.  If you want to see a change, then begin by forgiving yourself. 

There’s an ancient Hawaiian practice called Ho’oponopono, which means to make right.  You create a mental picture of the person you need to forgive in your mind, and from your heart you say, “I am sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you.” 

You can say it in any order. You don’t even have to talk directly to the person who caused you pain, but you can forgive them in your mind and in your heart. 

 

And while we are forgiving those with whom we interact, we can also practice Huna when we see a shooter on the nightly news, who takes out a movie theater, because we need to take responsibility for our actions.  Face it, we can all be assholes at one time or another and for every action there is a reaction (it spreads).  And if our actions spread, then we most certainly need to ask for forgiveness due to those actions contributing to that shooters state of mind.  Of course we can all ask for forgiveness from the victims as well.  We all contributed to that hurt and anger that caused their deaths. 

Think about it.  Practice forgiveness and watch our world transform.  I dare you to be so brave as to show some love by forgiving everyone you want to blame for making your day impossible. Try and it and then tell me what tomorrow was like. 

Your light shines brighter and you restore your power when you forgive.  Peace be with you all. 

 

 

 

 

FORGIVING BP

Did you know that there is medical evidence that your thoughts play a significant role in your health?

I had Diverticulitis and it caused my bowel to perforate.  On a metaphysical level it is suggested that diverticulitis is a condition caused by "blaming others for failing to prevent unpleasant experiences from happening and refusing to forgive them."

At first I was scratching my head thinking who am I not forgiving?  I know the importance of forgiveness, and how it can affect ones health.  But I never considered a corporation as an entity that I needed to forgive.  A friend, who is a healer, suggested to me that it could possibly be the BP oil spill.  Like she said, they took something away from me, and I was forced to deal with it. 

I live in Pensacola, Florida, and I had not swum in the Gulf of Mexico since Memorial Day Weekend in 2010, due to the Deepwater Horizon Disaster.  Following that holiday weekend is when the tar balls began to wash ashore.  And it affected me deeply.  I was so sad and depressed, as well as the rest of the community.  I fought tooth and nail to get others to realize what BP was trying to hide with their false advertising and total disregard for the environment.  In addition there were other stresses associated with the movement, like the clash of egos among community leaders. 

In the fall of 2013, I felt it was time to let go, yet I found myself getting wrapped up in the BP drama from time to time still.  A year later and I was feeling the symptoms of diverticulitis.  By December 2014, I was in the hospital. 

I was released from the hospital in January 2015.  Right after the 5 Year Anniversary of the BP Oil Spill (April 20^th), I found myself in the hospital a second time.  Again I had allowed myself to get caught up in the BP drama, by being asked to get involved with events aimed to honor the anniversary.  Believe it or not, I was actually diagnosed with diverticulitis a second time (very unusual).

Just recently, a friend turned me onto this book called, “The Power of Now,” by Eckhart Tolle (A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment).  Over five million copies sold.  It’s all about enlightenment and keeping track of your thoughts; the conscious mind verses the ego.  By being a witness to your thoughts, instead of allowing your mind to just wonder while being unaware of what you are truly thinking about, is a step towards living in the now; letting go of the past, don’t dwell on future events that have not happened yet. 

 

Now here are a few quotes I want to share from the book:

Ø      “If you believe on a deep level, in separation and the struggle for survival, then you see that belief reflected all around you and your perceptions are governed by fear.  You inhabit a world of death and of bodies fighting, killing, and devouring each other.”

Ø      “If you feel called upon to alleviate suffering in the world, that is a very noble thing to do, but remember not to focus exclusively on the outer (world), otherwise, you will encounter frustration and despair.”

Ø      “This also applies if you are supporting a movement designed to stop deeply unconscious humans from destroying themselves, each other, and the planet, or from continuing to inflict dreadful suffering on other sentient beings.”  Otherwise you will create an enemy and be drawn into unconsciousness yourself.

Ø      “Only those who have transcended the world can bring about a better world.”

Ø      “Peace is your is your most precious gift to the world.”

 

Most of this I already knew to be true.  And I pretty much conveyed this message in my book, “The Crude Oil Adventure of the Human Re-Evolution.”  I’ve been a student of metaphysics for several years now, and most of what I have learned, I have put into practice. 

 

After four years of meditating and praying over for the ocean water in the Gulf of Mexico, I can say the small fish have returned to the shoreline, and several turtles have returned as well; ghost crabs everywhere. So, I finally took a dip into the water that I once considered toxic.  I’ve played in the waves, and I let go of my fear and felt the freedom and power of the ocean once again.  It was certainly a forgiving experience.

We all have a choice.  It’s all about perspective.  Anger, anxiety, hate, jealousy, these are all negative emotions.  Love, gratitude, compassion, these are positive emotions.  When I view the BP Oil Spill now, I am grateful for the experience.  It helped me to evolve spiritually.  It is taking a negative event and viewing it in a positive light.

No more anger – just forgiveness, followed by peace.  Peace Out!

 

THE EVIL IN ME

We are all born with a dark side.  We live in a world of duality.  For every action there is a reaction, good and bad.  Take for instance the Internet.  Although it’s like a huge spider web that connects us all, and gives access to greater knowledge, it is also used in negative ways as well.  There’s child pornography, and those who use it to spread their hatefulness of others.

Even now as I write, someone is going to hate this post, while others will like it.  That’s just the way it is.  And this is why we have to be more accepting of each other and exercise a little forgiveness.  The evil in me is the evil in you too.  I can accept the title of asshole occasionally, because I can be one.

The other morning I went to the laundry matt, because the bed comforters are too heavy for my washer.  I use there side loader and can wash both comforters at the same time, and save the wear and tear on my own washing machine. 

The lady who tends the machines and makes change made a comment about how nice I was on this day.  She was like, “You’re usually a little uptight when you come in here.”

Somewhat offended, I started to reiterate what had happened to me on one visit months before.  Of course she knew the story though, because I had complained to her about the dude who had made me move my car so he could power wash the parking lot.  Being a paying customer, I was upset by the inconvenience and asked her why this wasn’t being done after business hours?

Anyway, as fast as I started rehashing the story, I stopped. I began to sense all that negativity as I spoke and I didn’t want to reinforce her judgment from our previous run in, because regardless, our view points were conflicting.  Nothing I said was going to change that.  So I told her, “Well you know, we all have our good days, and we all have our bad days.” 

She asked me to repeat myself, then thought about it for a second, then agreed with me, “You got that right,” she replied with a chuckle.

It isn’t always that easy to recognize when you’re wrong. Sometimes you think you stand on the side of righteousness, yet in another’s reality, you’re being a real asshole.  It’s just a matter of perspective; whose eyes you use to view any given situation.

To be compassionate of others is to be compassionate to yourself.  Forgive others and you will be forgiving of yourself.   After all, we are all human.  To be human is not to be perfect, but to be accepting of our own faults, as well as the faults of others.