Forgiveness Equals Freedom
by Charles Lightwalker
Forgiveness is a journey to freedom. It is a process that takes some effort, a path with many plateaus. We may think that forgiveness is complete at these resting points, and then something comes up to show us that there is more work to be done. The process of forgiveness is transformational. It is complex, not to be taken lightly, and not something that can be done on command. Be patient and tender with yourself on your journey to forgiveness. How often do we accept an apology without thinking twice about what we are really feeling around the issue? How often do we say we're "sorry" without ever taking the time to understand why we did what we did in the first place? When we can resolve an issue and consecrate it with forgiveness, we are free to move forward unencumbered by the past. We are empowered to move forward with a deeper understanding of who we are, but we have to let go of some emotional energy in order to do this.
Think about how great it feels when you complete a project. Unfinished business, whether it's on the inside or the outside, is energetically draining. When we are giving away too much energy, we can't keep ourselves healthy and creative. Then we're merely in survival mode. We have energetic cords coming from us that feed our "stuff" - everything that has yet to be resolved. It's no wonder we feel so tired at times.
Completing unfinished business on the inside will free up space for unfinished business to resolve itself on the outside. This is why we feel free and energized when our unfinished business is complete. Pretending to act from a place of love is another plateau on the forgiveness journey. We all long to act from a loving place, but we can't pretend to do so - it's energetically impossible. When our emotions are not in line with our words or actions, we send mixed messages. Regardless of what we say, the person on the receiving end is aware at some level of our true emotions.
Unconscious fuel can leave energentic scars on relationships at emotional and spiritual levels. Instead of pretending to act from a place of love, it would be more loving to be honest and let others know if something that occurred between you brought up some feelings that need to be resolved. Also, don't confuse feeling sorry for someone with forgiveness. Forgiving someone because you feel sorry for them is arrogant. Feeling sorry for someone is judging them, looking down on them, and assuming they can't change or help themselves. Feeling sorry for someone can feed their self-pity and keep them stuck. Feeling an emotional charge is a clue that more work needs to be done in the process of forgiveness. Avoiding our feelings will leave us on another plateau. Rationalizing and intellectualizing our feelings in our heads and judging them as unacceptable will not release them.
We need to bring our emotions up into our conscious awareness so we can feel them. In feeling them, we can begin to understand why we are experiencing them and trace them back to their roots for healing. Only by feeling our emotions can we begin to release them. If an issue affects us on a cellular level, it is often difficult to release and forgive, and we may need some assistance in our process. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.
We have an abundance of Divine assistance (guides and angels) available to us when we ask. It takes some work to get to the place and the space of forgiveness. The forgiveness process teaches us to be gentle with ourselves and others. In order to give the best of yourself, it is necessary to love yourself first. Forgiveness is truly a journey to freedom.
When the emotional charge from the pain incurred has shifted to the memory of what you have learned from the experience, and only love and gratitude remain in your heart for yourself and those you have forgiven, you will know that forgiveness is complete. A greater understanding of the deeper meaning of your earthly experience and destiny will be revealed, and you will probably choose to learn in a more elegant way in the future. Then life will be more fun.
Charles Lightwalker is a channeler, medical intuitive, healer and author. His books include Vibrational Yoga: Sonic Mysticism and Movement and Crystalline Reiki:A New Frequency in Healing. He is also Director of the Family of Light Healing and Yoga Centre. For more information, visit his website or send him an email.
