It's been a while since I've mentioned forgiveness. For those of you who have been with me for a while, you know it has been a mantra of mine. I have harped on it so much because I've seen and experienced firsthand the power of forgiveness. I know what it feel like to proudly hold a grudge, and have ill-will and discontentment flood my life. And I know the joy and fulfillment I felt when I let it all go.
I think the reason we hold on to "stuff" is because we don't want the person who hurt us to be let off the hook. We want them to suffer, and truth be told, we want a hand in their suffering.
This is such a waste of time, energy and effort (believe me when I say I speak from way too much experience). No matter the offense. No matter how egregious it was. No matter how much it hurt. Let it go. Not for them, but for yourself, so that you can reach your full potential. I think when we choose not to forgive, we stunt our own growth. We're so busy worrying about the other person getting their "due," we waste precious time moving forward in our own lives.
Ok.
The sermon is over.
Here's wishing you the peace that surpasses all understanding that comes with the gift of forgiveness.
~~~~~~~~~~
From Salon -
The science of forgiveness: “When you don’t forgive you release all the chemicals of the stress response”
Researchers are studying how we can let go of our grievances and live a healthier life. Here's how it works
An excerpt -
Once Ewin began helping his patients forgive, he noticed even more improvement. “What you’re thinking and feeling affects your body,” he would explain to his patients, using the analogy of something embarrassing causing someone to blush. “What you’re feeling will affect the healing of your skin, and we want you to put all your energy into healing.”
Another -
Perhaps the most comprehensive body of evidence showing links between forgiveness and health focuses on mood, says Dr. Frederic Luskin, the cofounder of the Stanford Forgiveness Project, an ongoing series of workshops and research studies at Stanford University. Researchers who measure emotional and psychological health outcomes following therapy that includes forgiveness are quantifying patients’ levels of anger, anxiety, and depression, concluding in multiple studies that forgiveness elevates mood and increases optimism, while not forgiving is positively correlated with depression, anxiety, and hostility. Like Enright, Luskin has developed ways to teach forgiveness in various places and with various groups, including war-ravaged populations in countries such as Northern Ireland and Sierra Leone, and he asserts that anyone—from jilted spouses to widows who have lost husbands to terrorism—can heal.
http://www.salon.com/2015/08/23/the_science_of_forgiveness_when_you_dont_forgive_you_release_all_the_chemicals_of_the_stress_response/?source=newsletter
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