Forgiveness

[janbear]

Forgiveness


The forgiving state of mind is a magnetic power for attracting good. No good thing can be withheld from the forgiving state of mind.
--Catherine Ponder
Forgiveness fosters humility, which invites gratitude. And gratitude blesses us; it makes manifest greater happiness. The more grateful we feel for all aspects of our lives, the greater will be our rewards. We don't recognize the goodness of our lives until we practice gratitude. And gratitude comes easiest when we're in a forgiving state of mind.
Forgiveness should be an ongoing process. Attention to it daily will ease our relationships with others and encourage greater self-love. First on our list for forgiveness should be ourselves. Daily, we heap recriminations upon ourselves. And our lack of self-love hinders our ability to love others, which in turn affects our treatment of them. We've come full circle--and forgiveness is in order. It can free us. It will change our perceptions of life's events, and it promises greater happiness.
The forgiving heart is magical. My whole life will undergo a dynamic change when I develop a forgiving heart.




Carol87
Administrator




Joined: 07 Dec 2005
Posts: 367


Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 6:09 pm Post subject:


Sorta ties in with this that I posted this in the old forum right after Thanksgiving ...

*****************



Forgive

"Just like you, I have often thought myself the victim
of what other people say and do.
Yet every time I confessed the sins of such people,
especially those whose sins did not correspond
exactly with my own,
I found that I only increased the total damage. . .
Under very trying circumstances,
I have had, again and again, to forgive others -- also myself.
Have you recently tried this?"
Bill W., Letter, 1946
c. 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 268


This is from one of my daily e-mails and reminds me of how I struggled and struggled with forgiveness. Even though I've attended church on a fairly regular basis and have been in recovery for a very long time, I had the misconception that if I forgave someone, it meant I approved what they did. I had a sponsor who used to tell me I HAD to forgive a family member ... which I just couldn't do ... until one day I saw something that said if you forgive someone, you FORGIVE them. It doesn't mean you condone what they did. A well-known concept that somehow evaded me ... but when I accepted that fact, I was finally able to forgive and get on with my life with a much lighter load on my shoulders. That simple action helped make this Thanksgiving one very special, only to me, because I was able to be with family members without anger and resentments. A true gift from my God as a direct result of working my program of recovery.





Many more things go right in a day than go wrong, but you will never notice if that one trying moment becomes your focus.

Treat your family as you would treat a best friend.



janbear
Administrator



Age: 43
Joined: 02 Dec 2005
Posts: 3409


Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 10:49 am Post subject:


It took me awhile also to learn that forgiving someone doesnt mean i condone their actions. I simply forgive, then i started feeling better .