Motivation Monday
Life Vest Inside has had the very good fortune of finding writers willing to share their Kindness Stories/Articles with us. One of our special recurring writers is David Jablinowitz, Op-Ed Editor at Jerusalem Post, who is famous for his “bus stories.”
FORGIVENESS
“Forgiveness is giving up all hope of a better past.”
Our mind is like a garden and thoughts are the seeds/plants that occupy our garden. On our quest to have a bouquet of Peace of Mind, we must first remove the weeds, rocks, and contaminants from our mind garden. Forgiveness is an effective process to free us from the pain of past hurts.
Forgiveness is not forgetting, condoning or reconciliation. Forgiveness is a choice not to ‘carry’ past offenses. Forgiveness is the choice not to maintain hurt, pain and anger. Forgiveness means to give up ‘victimhood’. Forgiveness is to pull the weeds of the past from our mind garden. It is vital to be more in the present, looking positively towards the future. There is NO future in the past!
Forgiveness is only possible because we can make choices. We cannot control how others have behaved, but we can choose how we react/respond to unkindness and hurt. We can choose which thoughts occupy our minds today.
Several action steps will aid in Forgiveness.
1. Make the commitment to have greater happiness and Peace of Mind. The quotation, “Make the commitment and the resources come” reminds us that first, we need to make the commitment, the conscious decision for greater happiness. Make Love, Peace of Mind and happiness a Goal!
2. Acknowledge the past with such phrases as “in the past” or “up until now”. Such word/seeds imply that we are willing to leave the past…in the past! These phrases are a ‘rototiller’ for our minds.
3. Talk to yourself! Repeatedly saying to yourself positive statements/affirmations WILL help. “I enjoy living in the present” is a good beginning.
4. Write a letter and burn it! If there is something unsettled with a situation or a person, it might be good to write out your feelings and thoughts and then in a ceremony of ‘letting go’ set the letter ablaze and be done with it!
5. Take actions that support the Goal. Get professional help. Attend supportive workshops. Read books and articles that support Forgiveness. Be selective of the people with whom you associate. Associate with positive people. Speak words of strength and commitment for a positive future.
There is no one absolute path for Forgiveness. We cannot change the past. Fortunately, we can choose how we will live our life today; we can choose which thoughts occupy our minds. We can pull the weeds from our mind garden and plant seeds for bouquets of Love, happiness, health, and greater Peace of Mind.
~ Loren D. Lasher
Finding yourself inspired to share your kindness story/article? Please submit it HERE – you can share via text, audio or video. Our editor will look it over! You may see your writing in a future issue of The Daily Kind!
Kindness Quote
“If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.”
Anatole Franc
Act of Kindness
Do yourself and others a favor and complain a lot less today! You are responsible for the energy that you bring into a room or situation. Clean it up and own it!
Positive Affirmation
Today I will be me! Wonderful, one of a kind, quirky, original me! I know who I am and I will celebrate that!
