Learning to FORGIVE…..if you are new to my blog check out the May Cause Miracles project here.
I have been having some energy treatments and Reiki done recently and both my throat chakra and my heart centre chakra have been cold. I am told that this means the energy is not flowing through these chakras easily and there may be some blocks to break through in order to get the energy moving. It has sparked some pretty in depth conversations about the healing powers of energy work and how it could benefit my physical health by dealing with issues of forgiveness. This tied right into what I was currently working on in “May Cause Miracles“.
I have read a lot about radical remissions, where the survivor attributes their healing to different energy work and I am currently reading about the John of God who has healed many people through different spiritual practices. This is a part of this journey that intrigues me and there is a lot to learn. The importance of the mind-body connection becomes more and more apparent daily and the miracles that are occurring because I am paying attention to myself make it an exciting learning experience.
Miracles are natural. When they do not occur, something has gone wrong.
Gabrielle Bernstein talking about "A Course in Miracles" in her "May Cause Miracles" book.
Over the past few months I have been really focusing on positive self talk and immediate forgiveness of myself for small setbacks or actions that are not in line with my current mindset. I was given an exercise by my councillor to actively pay attention to my thoughts and if I was thinking something about myself that I would not say out loud to my best friend, then I needed to stop. The mind is so powerful that your thoughts can be detrimental to your health. Some recent examples of this would be: In the past I would have gotten really stressed out and maybe even quit this project because I am not on track with Gabrielle Bernstein in her book May Cause Miracles. Heck, I should be almost done! Instead, I am telling myself that it is okay to be doing it at my own pace because it is getting done and I am taking the necessary time needed for me and each lesson. Not every day goes as planned, especially with a toddler lol. Another example would be going out for ice cream with friends the other night and enjoying every last bite without feeling guilty even though I definitly should not be eating ice cream.
Since practicing immediate self forgiveness I have noticed less stress, less worrying about what others may think and overall more of a calm feeling. I am more at peace with my decisions and I am enjoying the little things a bit more. It is these little miracles that keep me motivated to continue on this journey.
What I have been struggling with while working through the last couple of weeks is forgiveness of events or actions of the past. Both forgiving myself and forgiving others for these things is proving to be difficult. TOO MUCH LIVING IN THE PAST! I got stuck on Day 5 of “May Cause Miracles” for a long time as I didn’t know what to write in the letter to myself. I didn’t know how to put into words what I wanted to forgive myself for. It’s hard to put your raw, unfiltered feelings out there as it is not something we do everyday, or ever for some people. Even though I knew no one would read it, I felt embarrassed. Embarrassed for things that happened 5, 10, even 20 years ago!! Once I finally sat down to write the letter, I had more to write than expected and it was a very freeing experience. I would highly recommend trying it if you need a fresh start.
From this exercise I learnt or at least confirmed the following about myself:
- I am WAY too hard on myself for decisions I have made in the past. I now am working on forgiving myself and being thankful for these lessons as I would not be where I am today without having made these decisions.
- I am creating unnecessary stress in my current life by worrying about what others think or about how others feel about me.
- I am truly lucky to be where I am today because I have a great life 🙂
- It is way too easy to get stuck in the past or worry about the future. My biggest lesson so far from May Cause Miracles is to live for today.
Who have you forgiven lately? Or do you have any tools that you find help you let go of the past?
Lots of LOVE,
Lyndsey
xoxo
Hey Lyndsey,
I have been following your blog as I mentioned I would and we have been keeping you in our minds and hearts.
This post spoke to me for 2 reasons. First because I have practiced mindfulness for some time now and as I am sure you are starting to see, it makes a huge difference in noticing what you are feeling, thinking, seeing NOW and in the present moment rather than wasting energy on the past or even the future. If you cannot control the past or the future, why spend any time there? I have found mindfulness has helped me evolve from an anxious, rushed spazz-bot into someone that represents a little closer who I want to be for my family and friends. 🙂
As you explore mindfulness and the ‘activities’ of mindfulness such as yoga and meditation, I wanted to share this quote with you:
“Start living right here, in each present moment. When we stop dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, we’re open to rich sources of information we’ve been missing out on—information that can keep us out of the downward spiral and poised for a richer life.”
― Mark Williams,
The second thing in your post that struck home with me was the letter you wrote to yourself. When I went through grief counseling for my Dad who passed when I was 10, the doctor had me write a letter to my Dad. This was the pivotal point in the process and I could almost feel the years of emotions pour out of me during the process. It was amazing and very healing and I thank you for bringing me back to that time when I was able to let go of what was not serving me and hold on to what was in respect to the loss of my Dad at such a young age. I hope you found the same peace with your letter-writing.
Anyway, we are thinking about you. I just wanted to share another way that you are reaching people in your blog writing. 🙂
Brent.
Thank you so much for sharing both these with me Brent. I still find myself needing a constant reminder to live in the present and it is moments like reading this where it all makes sense to me again and I get excited. Today is something to be grateful for so lets enjoy it!!
Wise words from a wise woman..
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3cfp51vLZb4
Corrie TenBoom has quite an amazing story that speaks right to the heart of forgiveness. She was a WWII survivor and has quite a few videos on YouTube filmed in the 80’s. The video is a little dated, but the message is timeless:)