Forgiveness is the gift you give to yourself when you develop the courage to let go.
Circumstances of life will bring unwarranted disappointments, reckless emotional hurts, and unplanned rejections that will make you question the direction of your life. That is a matter of fact and, unfortunately, beyond human control.
When the storms of life blow, you do not have to be a victim of your circumstance, but can use it as an opportunity to grow. Life will always present you with two choices: be bitter or be better.
As a free agent in this marvelous universe, you have been endowed with the power by God to choose how you will respond to each issue of life. The choices you make from the infinity of possibilities will inevitably construct a reality congruent with your choices.
Many people truly desire to let go of the past, but are helplessly haunted by the grievances of yesterday. The only way to mend that brokenness is to forgive. It is necessary that you forgive yourself and everyone involved. If you are ready to use that negative situation as a stepping stone to your personal transformation, then follow these four steps…
Step 1: Let Go
Letting go is making the decision to move on by acknowledging what occurred and deciding to make peace with it.
This process involves the healing of your thoughts and emotions. Consciously choose to let go of all thoughts that are hindering your inner peace. You can accomplish this by acknowledging each thought of the past event when it enters into your mind; then say to yourself, “Yes, that happened to me in the past, but today I choose to let go to make room for the miracles bound to take its place.”
Next, abandon the negative emotional charge behind the past event. To do this, every time you feel the negative emotions of the past welling up inside you, visualize it as a black, toxic energy emitting from the floor beneath you. The black, toxic energy is traveling upward and is attempting to entangle you. Next, as the black, toxic energy is traveling upward to entangle you, imagine an intense white light, brighter than the sun, blasting from the center of your body outward instantly dissipating the black, toxic energy. Mentally repeat this exercise until you no longer feel the negative emotions.
Step 2: Let God
Letting God is surrendering your problems to an omnipotent and loving Creator, who is truly invested in your well being.
Letting God includes the following prayer, “Dear God, I humbly come to you as your beloved creation, seeking infinite wisdom to overcome a pressing problem of yesterday. Because you are mighty and because you are all-knowing, you have already moved on my behalf to bring about a miracle to substitute the pain and disappointment. You have already planned to give me double for my trouble. Please help me to accept that truth and to understand all things are working together for my greater good even as I speak this word. Amen.”
Step 3: Transcend
Transcend simply means to rise above the negative aspects of any situation.
You can do this by first understanding that you are greater than any one moment or unfortunate circumstance. You are refined by regrets or any mistakes of the past, not defined by them.
To transcend also means to know that no mistake could ever occur that divinity does not have the power to correct and to use as a testament of your victory. Each disappointment brings with it a building block that leads to the appointment of your higher calling. Transcend to accept that truth.
Step 4: Evolve
This is the final piece to the puzzle.
Evolve simply means to allow all things, both good and bad, to make you a better person. Allow even the difficulty and hardship to inspire you to be the very best that you can be and to live the best life that you can live. Let it make you… for nothing can truly break you.
Let all things work together to elevate you where you deserve to be.
