Forgiveness

   Reflecting on forgiveness can bring up our most painful wounds as well as the people who come with them. This can make most of us say forget about forgiveness instead of forgiving and forgetting the past. Rather than passing on embodying the great gifts that forgiveness has to offer, how about noticing the everyday opportunities you receive to exercise forgiveness? Such as not holding a grudge against the person who missed your appointment with them, being OK with the invitation to the party you didn't receive or understanding the person who always interrupts and just doesn't know better. Perhaps you can dig a little deeper inward and notice if you were in the wrong and need to forgive yourself. 

   When you truly let go of the inner and outer critical dialogue, have compassion and forgive another including yourself, you set yourself free. Also forgiving another doesn't make you a push over. You can craft it into a pathway to move forward with improved communication, clearer boundaries or the sentiment that it was nice knowing you, goodbye and good luck!

    If you make forgiveness a practice you will soon understand that the person who benefits most from forgiveness is you. With this profound realization you just might find you will have the motivation to work on forgiving and forgetting your deepest wounds. 

   Tuesday August 2nd the Rev. JP Dada Vaswani celebrates his 98th birthday. He like last year and the years before requests that on his birthday Aug. 2nd at 2pm no matter what time zone you're in to take a few moments to become still, get quiet and reflect on forgiveness. This international meditation is called "A Moment of Calm." Imagine the positive wave of peace this inner work can do. Please join us this coming Tuesday at 2pm for a Moment of Calm.