Like many of us, I too have someone in my life I am having trouble forgiving. I do realize that this block to forgiveness is not serving me any longer. That resentment actually hurts me. And although I will certainly never condone bad behaviour, and I am clear that I don’t want any kind of relationship with those people, I am committed to practicing forgiveness. Or at least practicing the ‘intention to someday’ forgive.
Forgiveness is a difficult practice because in order to forgive others, we each have to open to our own pain. Not easy to do. But fortunately I am finding Mindful Self-Compassion helps.
Mindfulness is being able to name the feelings, and then locate it in the body. Self-Compassion is responding to this pain with the same tenderness I would offer to someone I truly loved.
So I practice and practice. And I hold an intention that someday I might begin the process of forgiveness. That’s just where I am now. And that’s okay.
May I be safe.
May I be peaceful.
May I be kind to myself.
May I accept myself as I am
May I begin to forgive you for what you have done, wittingly or unwittingly, to have caused me harm.
