Life is a rollercoaster ride! Such a famous phrase. And it is true for all of us. We have all gone through ups and downs in life. Some ups were so high that it made us feel 'on top of the world!' And some downs were so low that we have felt like we were in a deep ditch. And all through it we have survived. But the one thing that has been common in most of our lives is a sense of incompletion. Somewhere we have all wondered, what is that one thing that is missing in our lives. The one thing that is holding us back from our 'Personal Freedom'.
Through my own journey of life, I have had this feeling many times. It has always raked my curiosity. After being a part of many healing seminars and learning different ways to claim power, it has dawned on me that there is only one thing that is really the root of all problems. The reason why even after achieving so much success, people feel unsuccessful. Having all the money in the world, you still can't get rid of the pain. Adopting the best exercise regime still cannot prevent you from diseases. And that one thing is 'FORGIVENESS '
Forgiveness is not just telling somebody, "I forgive you". It does not come from a space of showing you are superior. It does not come from the feeling of being right. Rather, true forgiveness comes from the heart. From the soul. But how do you do it? Especially when the person hurting you is not even sorry! It can be difficult to let the other person scot free, when somehow it feels they have wronged you.
what helps here is to recognize who you really are and the world around you. To realize that you are a human who has the potential to make mistakes, bad decisions, have flaws and so are the ones around you. They are as imperfect as you are. Forgiveness is allowing yourself to be free from the prison of past. Giving you the gift of a beautiful life ahead.
When you forgive somebody genuinely, you release a burden from your own soul. The reason I call it a 'burden' is because we are the ones who keep rewinding and watching the tape of hurt. A person's actions could have hurt you ones. But you are responsible for playing it in your mind like a stuck recorder. Yes, of course there are some who go through abuse repeatedly. And for them to forgive somebody is even harder. I would write another post for that specifically later. But for now, what about most of us? People who have held on to things that might have happened once or twice in their life, but are reliving it everyday.
When you allow yourself to see those you have wronged you as amateurs of life, trying to solve their own puzzle, you free yourself too. Its a freedom that comes as close to the taste of liberation that can be. Indeed, forgiving is not an easy pill to swallow. What makes it worth though, is it lets you create space for the better things in life to come and stay. Its as if you are cleaning your cupboard, to discard the old un wanted things so you can make space for the new.
So, the first step you can take is in forgiving yourself. Forgive yourself for being a little awkward, a little weird. We are all imperfect and that's how we are meant to be. So the next time you look into the mirror, tell yourself, "I know you are doing the best you can. Even if you are not perfect, you are still trying. So I forgive you. I accept you for who you are this very moment." When you say these lines to yourself, smile and appreciate yourself and let go of holding your flaws as hostage. Once you take that first step to stop that old recording about your own inner demons, it will get easier to forgive others. And I promise, once you begin, you would have set foot on the path to your 'Personal Freedom'.