Forgiveness

"Forgiveness is giving up the hope of a different or better yesterday."

If the past hurts. If you still feel sad about something that happened or someone's actions, there is a way to leave that sadness behind. It is called forgiveness. "Forgiveness has nothing to do with the other person." The objective is to be set free. The resentment you feel only hurts yourself. The sadness you feel is holding you back not the other person.

Any reminder of the past may trigger you to relive the injury because there are unfinished emotions attached to it. Successful forgiveness completes the process and ends the need to hold on to resentment. It's your chance to start anew -- a "Take Two" as in movie making.

"You cannot feel forgiveness until you do it." Why? Because you cannot feel something you haven't done yet. Forgiveness does not imply forgetting or condoning the past. The reality that the past can keep you in jail is what we are addressing here. When you forgive, you take action. You say your truth and you let go of the hopes and dreams of the past.

Living in the present has much more potential for positive outcomes because that is where your ability to act resides. To create a future you desire, you must act in faith today. To do this, the event or state you desire must be envisioned in detail. The person you can change is yourself. You must write an "I am..." statement that truthfully states a strength you have or wish to develop more fully. This statement will show up more powerfully if you include God's help in your statement. Every time you repeat this statement you banish negative opposing thoughts and experience the truth in your heart. You will reinforce your truth as you look for small results that prove it is true in your life. This includes a daily ritual of gratitude.

To achieve your envisioned potential, you will create small measurable outcomes that lead to that end. These will be possible to achieve only if you can identify two tasks to do in the present that accomplish them. Start small with two outcomes and four tasks. As your faith grows in achieving small successes you will begin the process of moving towards a positive future and you will no longer feel stuck.

Forgiveness is the first step in a series of actions that you can take without the permission or involvement of any other person. It completes an unfinished emotion and lets it rest. In ending a beginning appears. Take the opportunity today to begin anew. Rely on God to strengthen you and provide insights into how to do this. Your mind has the ability to imagine and create any reality. Use it to envision the movement you desire and to hope for good things to come.

Source: The Grief Recovery Handbook by John W James and Russell Friedman pp. 139-141

For further study:

Telling Yourself the Truth: Find Your Way Out Of Depression, Anxiety, Fear, Anger, And Other Common Problems By Applying The Principles Of Misbelief Therapy by William Backus

Bonds that Make us Free: Healing our Relationships, Coming to Ourselves by C Terry Warner

The Magic Power of Self-Image Psychology by Maxwell Maltz

The Silva Mind Control Method by Jose Silva