The Healing Power of "Forgiveness"

Healing: Cure or restore to health; the natural process by which the body repairs itself.

 When we talk about health and the human body we must include the body, mind and spirit. These three are what make us who we are and how we co-exist within our society.

During our lifetime there are many types of healing that we as individuals go through, and many ways in which it occurs. Sometimes we heal involuntarily, such as the expression "Time Heals All Wounds" or in cases of physical wounds the body may do it for us with no intervention on our part.  Then there are other times where we need an elaborate plan or course of action with the help of others, such as councilors, psychologists, doctors or other professional people. It all depends on the type of healing we need and whether or not we recognize the need for it.

When we talk about healing most of us automatically think in terms of Physical healing, such as when we are sick or injure ourselves. It is easy to see the need in these cases. But, what about the injuries we don't see, such as to our emotions? Have you ever wondered why we do things the way we do, or experience feelings in ways we can't understand? The way we interpret life and respond with our actions has a lot to do with past experiences that can affect us both mentally and emotionally.  Responses to conditions can be either positive or negative and cause us to react accordingly. Awareness and recognition of our actions or reactions to stimuli will give us the opportunity to make adjustments that will benefit our beings so that we will be better able to cope and get along in our society.

At one time or another in our lives we will all experience a personal event, either with a family member, friend or stranger that will affect us negatively on an emotional level and require psychological healing. One such method of this type of healing is through ‘Forgiveness'. What is forgiveness? It is the healing and release from an injury.

When someone hurts us physically, psychologically, spiritually or emotionally the event and resulting injury can remain with us for a short time or for the rest of our life. Unless we recognize and respond to this hurt we succumb to its negative effects in the way we live and react in our daily life. It is important that we understand the hurt that has taken place and face it head on. This is the first step in the healing process. 

 Forgiveness is a form of Psychological healing; it is done for us and not the offender. We can forgive on an emotional level and still pursue a resolution or rightful retribution through a lawsuit or other means. It is different from merely destructive "revenge."  It is a release of outrage or discontent toward the offending person. When we forgive we do it for ourselves and not for the benefit of the offender. By forgiving we do not necessarily release the responsibility of the offender, but we release ourselves from being bound to the event. This allows us the opportunity to go on with our life without the negative impact of the offense. 

Benefits of forgiveness:

•1.     Forgiveness lets you rid yourself of the situation and the bitterness that is causes; without it the bitterness lingers. The idea is to enjoy today's pleasures rather than being upset with yesterday's injustices. When bitterness remains a part of us, our personality can be affected negatively and we can relive the situation over and over in our minds. We may even attract the same kind of people who commit the same offense to us. We need to unshackle our-self and be free.

•2.     Regaining control of your life results when you decide to forgive. Your mind can be like a movie camera that replays the offending event each time you think about it. When you allow anger to well up inside, you are allowing the person who hurt you to do it again. You may try to avoid placing yourself in situations where the offense took place or avoid being with certain people who you think might hurt you too. You allow your hurt to control you. Through forgiveness you allow yourself to detach from the situation and the hurt it caused. You regain self-respect, serenity, dignity and inner peace. You don't forget the incident or release the offending person from their responsibility, but you take control by saying, " I will not allow anything or anyone to hurt me again." By reclaiming our past and not allowing memories to upset us we are free to go on with our life. We allow the world in again and this time we are a little stronger than before.