Yesterday Karen Webster, wrote a very timely and powerful post about the act of forgiveness and how important it is to leave your baggage behind as you enter an new year! It was a great post, and has been very well received. It's also some of the truest words ever written on Active Rain, or anywhere else for that matter.
She and I have kicked around the whole concept and practice of forgiveness of others and ourselves for a long time. It really is not optional (unless you really like your life EXACTLY as it is at this moment). One of the rules is, keep doing what you're doing, keep getting what you're getting. (and that is NOT only about money).
I think my favorite comment in response to Karen's post was from Joeanne Fossland who wrote: I always loved the saying "unforgiveness is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die!"
As my wife and I were kicking around the whole forgiveness thing again last night and today, I was reminded of a wonderful meditation/exercise that was given to me by good friend, author and amazing numerologist John Davis. It's called:
The Theatre of the MIND: A proven technique to self-transformation.
I know that John would be happy that I'm sharing this with you, and I can say that I've used this meditation and have experienced some wonderful (and amazing) results. Today is 12/31, a day of celebrations, of planning and of making new year's resolutions. I would suggest to you that it could well be one of the most powerful traditions you can begin today, if you take a few minutes and knock off the top 5 (or 10, or 100) parts of your life that are in need of forgiveness.
Find a quiet place for contemplation. Create a sacred space within your self. Remember: this procedure doesn't have to be done perfectly; your intention is the most important factor.
Visualize yourself approaching a beautiful theater in your mind. As you approach the theater entrance, you notice you have been carrying a rope over your shoulder. You mentally look over your shoulder and you see that you have been pulling a huge rock on a sled and you have been pulling it for your entire life. On the rock is inscribed in large letters, "IF ONLY". All of your woulda, shoulda and couldas aer all stored in that heavy rock. All of your negative attitudes about yourself kept this lifetime are also stored in the heavy rock. You know intuitively that you have to mental release this rock before entering the theater of your mind. Visualize yourself taking a mental pair of scissors and cutting the rope, immediately releasing your IF ONLY rock. This life's personal condemnation is over for you- you have instantaneously moved into the ancient inter-dimensional space the Buddhists call Dharma, where karma is forgiven. Accept this marvelous personal gift- you deserve it! Only you have the right to forgive yourself for the mistakes you have made this lifetime.
Techniques for Forgiveness:
Enter into your "Theater of the Mind". You are the only one in this theater. In the center of the theater is a stage with a spotlight focused on two chairs. You walk onto the stage, sit in one chair and bring the person who hurt you the most in this lifetime to mentally sit in the other chair, facing you. Immediately move into your heart and mentally create the circumstances surrounding your relationship with this person. Emotional responses like crying are encouraged since a goal of a superhighway from your advanced mind to your beautiful heart is one of the major purposes of this life.
After you have gone through the creative visualization of your challenges with this individual, mention their name and state that you totally forgive them for what they did to you. You forgive yourself for drawing this person into your life and thank them for bringing you into your heart. If you accept this declaration of your complete forgiveness of this person, the gift of Dharma is yours.
Go through this same procedure described above with each person who has hurt your and you will be transformed into a new person, finally free from the subconscious burden of betrayal that you have carried throughout your life. At that moment of your personal forgiveness declaration, you are resurrected into a new person on multi levels of expression.
I understand that there are many people for whom this exercise may feel a bit 'out there'. Please understand that it may not be for everyone. I share it today, because the end of THIS YEAR is an especially good time to clear the decks on all the bad old stuff, and I've found this to be an amazing way to accomplish that in my life. I use it regularly (but not nearly as often as I used to have to).
For me, the ability to let go of old anger, sadness, disappointment, hurt feelings (about myself and about others) has left me with a lot more energy to do the things that are fun, that serve me well. I guess it's because I'm not dragging that great big rock anymore.
Hope you can leave your old boulder in 2007!
Happy New Year!
Boulder photo by: By jimschley on Flickr.com
Fox Theater photo: By SNWEB.ORG Photography on Fickr.com
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