Forgiveness teaches us compassion

Forgiveness is probably on of the most liberating feelings except for some of us it is so hard to do. I believe forgiveness is one act we all can easily understand but tend to overlook or suppress. The reason why I believe this is because at  some point in all of our lives, we have done something we are not proud of and wish we could take back. At some point in all our lives, we have reacted in a way we are embarrassed about when we step back from the situation. Ashamed when we realise we have done something that hurt someone else through words or actions. Afraid of the consequences of what we have done.

Yet when someone does something to us we can’t find the space in our hearts to forgive. I know when I am angry with someone or disappointed with someone, my energy levels feel really low when I see that person. Or I get a surge of heat rush through my body. Or sometimes my heart races or I can’t breathe.

But when I take my time to think about the circumstances that caused the friction , I realise that it was not worth the amount of energy I am wasting trying to remain in an unforgiving state. So now what I find myself doing is sending myself love and light and also sending it to the other person or people. And immediately my mood lifts because my energy shifts from dark to light. A smile creeps on my face. And my whole soul feels joy.

And what I realise more than anything is that it is not natural for us to be in a state of conflict or vengeance or nonforgiveness. I know because of the way our body responds when we are in this state. Our natural state of being is love, peace and light. Forgiveness teaches us compassion and we learn compassion because we have all done something in our lives we are not proud of. And when we embrace this realisation, we can always find space in our hearts to forgive. Sometimes it may take a while but if we shift our brains into realising we are naturally compassionate beings, we will feel a lightness in our spirits.

So here’s to forgiveness today, cast aside ego and replace it with love and see just how much better you feel afterwards. As the Dalai Lama says, “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.”