Inner peace can be reached only when we practice forgiveness.
Spring is the time when many people deep clean their homes, unload unwanted junk, pull out the lawn furniture and spruce up the landscaping. It is also a great time to do a spring-cleaning of your spirit, especially pulling the weeds of unforgiveness. I am often amazed at the kind of garbage we humans choose to willingly drag around with us in the form of grudges, painful memories and other types of mental and spiritual debris from the past that we refuse to release. We will not forgive the ex-spouse who treated us shabbily. We refuse to let go of the slights and unfairness of a situation at work, church or some other group we are a part. We continue to beat ourselves up for past mistakes. The cost of our unwillingness to let go is huge. On a metaphysical level what we focus on tends to expand. So if you have something from the past you refuse to let go, you will repeatedly experience this again. When you continue to lick the wound you bring more misery upon yourself. On a more rational level, why let someone from your past continue to hurt you and potentially rob you of an extraordinary present and future? Remember, that which you hold onto – hurt, resentment, grudge, unforgiveness, pain – is actually holding onto you keeping you stuck. From a health standpoint, need I remind you there have been studies, enough to fill volumes, on the health risks of unforgiveness: ulcers, heart problems, eating disorders and more. Virtually any physical ailment has the potential of being rooted in an unforgiving spirit. I invite you to do a thorough inventory of your spirit. Much like you go through your closet at the beginning of each season, weed out that which no longer fits. As a writer, I frequently work with people who have yet to make peace with their past. They are still dragging around old business, allowing the past to drain them of present energy and future possibilities. It is a bit like trying to drive forward while constantly keeping your foot on the brake and your eyes on the rear-view mirror. If you are ready to do a thorough spring-cleaning, start with your spirit. Let go of the past, forgive people, including yourself, so you can learn from your lessons and finally move on. Prepare to watch new growth unfold in your life. Why not take nature’s cue and start living anew? Ask yourself the following questions: How am I benefiting by holding onto the past? How would I benefit by letting go of the experiences and practicing forgiveness? Who is really paying for my unwillingness to forgive? What is the lesson for me here?
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AuthorMusings from Gammon Irons. To desire and strive to be of some service to the world, to aim at doing something which shall really increase the happiness and welfare and virtue of mankind - this is a choice which is possible for us all; and surely a good haven to sail. Archives
February 2020
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