Many of us experience anger as a reaction to an act by another that we feel has wronged us; an act that we interpret as being done to us that is not aligned with our own personal values.
Often we also feel compelled to judge others because they have wronged us and therefore they deserve it.
However by holding on to negative feelings towards any ‘other’ you are essentially hurting yourself, resulting in the opposite effect that most would want to have.
Mark Twain has said “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured”.
Carrying the Acidic Anger is a Heavy Load on Us.
Throughout our lifetimes we accumulate this acidic anger and bitterness and we carry it with us wherever we go.
We carry it on our shoulders, our back and on our hearts. The load becomes heavier and heavier until one day it may physically manifest itself as shoulder, neck or back pain or as knots deep within our abdomen.
By holding on to your past you are allowing the experience to continue to harm you; to be endured over and over again in an endless cycle.
How Let Go and Start Fresh.
Rather than carrying this heavy load and recounting your prior experiences of pain and suffering, the only rational choice is to forgive, let go and start fresh.
There is a common misconception that by forgiving others you are condoning their actions. However this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Forgiveness does not signal defeat; rather, it signifies self-interest. It is a resolution to alleviate the pain and suffering that others have caused you to feel so that you may free yourself and make more room for love and joy.
1. One of the simplest and most accessible methods to enact forgiveness is to create a list of every possible experience you can recall when someone or something wronged you.
It may take you a while to write out this list as you must begin with your childhood and record every item up until the present day.
Your list may include: + loved ones, + friends, + strangers, + the government or other organizations, + teachers or business associates; + anyone or anything that you perceive has caused you harm
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2. Once you have completed your list go through each item one by one and consciously replace the negative emotions you are associate with those experiences with love and acceptance.
Acknowledge that each person or group on your list were merely trying to do what they thought was best. Envision that perhaps they did not intend to cause you any harm. Imagine each person on your list receiving the love and forgiveness that you are sending to them.
3. Once you have forgiven others, you must also forgive yourself.
The anger and bitterness that we carry for ourselves often manifests itself in the form of guilt. It is likely you have looked back on your life and regretted some of your actions in one way or another.
Message from Guided Mind: Get our guided meditation to forgive yourself and others and take the burden off your life.
We are all human and as such we are all imperfect. You must acknowledge that the past is behind you and you are unable to change your actions that have already happened.
In order to free yourself you must release all guilt for your previous actions. Give yourself the gift of love and acceptance and release the past and all previous actions that you cannot change.
The day will never come which you completely agree with the actions of all other people nor will the day that you find every other person on this planet shares your identical values and beliefs.
It’s just not going to happen. As human beings are differences make us unique and it is also our differences that make us beautiful. An alternate world where everyone is carbon copies of each other would be absolutely boring!
We must celebrate our differences as it is what makes our time here exciting.
Clear out the negativity that you carry around in your space to make more room for good, positive to come into your life.
- Do not forgive to make another feel better.
- Do not forgive another because they asked you to.
- Do not forgive another because you feel pressured to be agreeable.
- You must not forgive others to appease anyone other than yourself.
Forgiveness is not about any other person, it is about you. It is about acting in your own self-interest to release all anger and resentment.
Choose to release the weight you’ve been bearing all these years. Choose to move forward with a lighter heart. Choose to free yourself through the power of forgiveness.
Tracey Dawn is a soul-seeker from British Columbia, Canada. Trained in psychology, meditation and spiritual healing, she is driven to learn more about why we create our own self-limitations and how to break them. She loves to share her passion for self-growth and spiritual fulfillment. After experiencing a couple life-changing experiences, she is awakened to aligning her life with the flow of the universe and encouraging others to do the same.
View her blog at https://traceydawn444.wordpress.com/ and find her Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/traceydawn444
