Forgiveness  --  Week 13   

Forgiveness is the capacity to reclaim our peace of mind when something has happened to disturb us. We have the choice whether to respond to hurts and conflicts with anger and bitterness, or with forgiveness.   Forgiving is not the same as forgetting. It does not mean that we gloss over the harm that has taken place, or pretend that it never happened. What it does is to allow us to let go of the destructive attitudes towards the past that imprison us and the person who harmed us in a cycle of recrimination and guilt.  Forgiveness can seem insurmountable, and has vast consequences, but in essence it is a shift of mind.  The motivation to forgive has to come from a genuine wish deep inside to relieve the pain and discomfort of ourselves and of others. It cannot be forced. 

16G for Life book

Topics for discussion:  (From 16-G PDF)

1.  Guilt and shame are emotions that might block our
ability to forgive. We experience guilt when we have
made a mistake but the experience of shame is
rooted in the belief that we are a mistake. 

2.  Forgiving ourselves, letting go of resentment and
anger towards ourselves can be the hardest act.  

 .... or whatever is alive in you.  

 Words of Wisdom

“Forgiveness is the way we
mend tears in the
social fabric. It is the way we
stop our human community
from unraveling.”

~  Desmond Tutu  

"The way we relate with others."   (review)

Every time we cherish others we are cherishing ourselves.

Our happiness depends on the happiness of others.

So to strengthen our relationships with the people around us is one of the most direct and effective routes to a happy life.

Whether we like it or not, we cannot get by on our own but it is easy to forget the people behind the scenes who make our existence possible.

Whether it is the farmer who grew the seed for our bread, the engineer who brought the water for our tea, or the van driver who supplied the shop: our connections with others are endless.

Our tendency to overlook or ignore these infinite connections is unrealistic and a major obstacle to happiness.

There is a deep rooted inclination to see ourselves as separate individuals who have worked hard to be ‘self-sufficient’ and ‘independent’.

The result is often isolation, loneliness, anxiety and depression.

The happiest people are those who acknowledge their interconnection and who nurture warm and appreciative relationships.

ref:  Compassion And Wisdom.org

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