The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.– Mahatma Gandhi
Forgive others not because they deserve forgiveness, because you deserve peace. – Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Forgiveness is the best form of love. It takes a strong person to say sorry and even stronger person to forgive. – Anonymous
This week I choose to write about forgiveness, a topic that I have discussed with friends and family very often. I was inspired to write about forgiveness, after listening to Scarlett Lewis at the Tapping World Summit. Some of you may remember the mass shooting at Sandy Hook school, New Town, Connecticut. Scarlett Lewis lost her son at the shooting. To say that I was moved and touched listening to her journey into forgiveness, choosing to forgive the perpetrator would be an understatement.
Lewis shared about how the team from Tapping Solution helped the families process the trauma and grief, who lost their precious loved little ones in the shooting.
Ever since I listened to her interview, I have been taking an inventory of how I have been a recipient of forgiveness throughout my life starting with my parents and The Divine. Going back to the interview, I realized if Ms. Lewis can forgive someone who took her son’s life, forgiveness should be an easy and effortless process. She went on to start a non profit called The Forgiveness Project.
Here are some things to consider in the process of forgiveness:
- When we think about forgiving someone, we can experience an unconscious resistance, because we are so afraid, that if we forgive, we will be letting the person off the hook. The same applies when we want to forgive ourselves.
- The resistance to forgiveness is also because of unprocessed guilt, anger, hurts, wounds, and resentment.
- When we begin to address those dark emotions using a tool like tapping, forgiveness becomes easy and effortless.
- A shift in perspective, which is a very common phenomenon experienced after tapping can also lead to forgiveness.
- Forgiving too soon when we are not ready, will only delay the process of achieving a closure to our past experiences.
- Surrendering to a power greater than us, and asking for guidance and support is the key to making a transition into forgiveness.
Wishing you peace and happiness!
Until next time, keep tapping.
Meenakshi.