Here is a wonderful article on forgiveness and self-love & acceptance by Louise Hay. You can find the original by following this link.
Do You Give Your Power Away?
Open your heart to goodness.
By Louise L. Hay
Published: January 25, 2010
The act of forgiveness takes place in our own mind. It really has nothing to do with the other person.
When we blame another, we give our power away because we’re placing the responsibility for our feelings on someone else. People in our lives may behave in ways that trigger uncomfortable responses in us. However, they didn’t get into our minds and create the buttons that have been pushed. Taking responsibility for our own feelings and reactions is mastering our “ability to respond.” In other words, we learn to consciously choose rather than simply react.
We can’t talk about resentment without also talking about forgiveness. Forgiving someone doesn’t mean that we condone their behavior. The act of forgiveness takes place in our own mind. It really has nothing to do with the other person. The reality of true forgiveness lies in setting ourselves free from holding on to the pain. It’s simply an act of releasing ourselves from the negative energy.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean allowing the painful behaviors or actions of another to continue in your life. Sometimes, forgiveness means letting go. You forgive them and release them. Taking a stand and setting healthy boundaries are often the most loving things you can do—not only for yourself, but for the other person as well.
I truly believe that there are no mistakes. When our hearts are closed and we feel resentment and anger and sadness, it’s hard to see anything good. Yet when our hearts are open, it’s as if so much of that negativity disappears and we’re able to release these old thoughts and reawaken to joy. For each of us, there’s always joy inside. And we need to know how very perfect we are as we are.
No matter how much chaos may be going on around us, no matter how many things may be going wrong or not the way we want them to, no matter what our bodies may be doing at the moment—we can love and accept ourselves. For the truth of us—the very truth of our being—is that we’re eternal. We have always been and we always will be. And that part of ourselves goes on forever. Rejoice that this is so. As we love and accept ourselves exactly as we are, it makes it easier to go through the so-called difficult times. We’re no longer fighting ourselves. We’re accepting. We’re becoming tender. We’re cherishing ourselves. We’re comforting ourselves and making it easier for ourselves.
See yourself standing in front of a mirror looking into your own eyes and saying, I love and accept you exactly as you are. And breathe. Just let yourself feel what you’re feeling. You don’t have to be perfect. You’re already perfect as you are: You are you. You’re exactly what you’ve chosen to be in this lifetime. Of all the bodies and all the personalities that were available, you chose to be who you are—to experience this world, this lifetime, through your body, through your personality. So love your choice, for it is part of your spiritual evolution.
Louise L. Hay, the author of the international bestseller You Can Heal Your Life, is a metaphysical lecturer and teacher with more than 40 million books sold worldwide. For more than 25 years, she has helped people throughout the world discover and implement the full potential of their own creative powers for personal growth and self-healing. Visit: www.LouiseHay.com.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Notes from the Universe
If you aren't yet familiar with Mike Dooley's daily 'Notes from the Universe' emails, I highly recommend signing up for them at tut.com. They're free, and they are bound to make you smile! I love starting my day out with the Universe's latest note. Today's note read the following:
What if funky, confusing, gray, lonely days were just part of a "system" that, in turn, created bright, rich, happy, friendly days?
What if they were just meant to give deeper elements of your creativity a rest?
What if they were deliberately crafted holidays, of a sort, devised by your inner psyche to relieve you from the pressure of artificial expectations?
Would you still bemoan them, wonder what's wrong with you, or fear that they'll never end? Or, Angie, would they kind of tickle you pink?
You party animal, you -
The Universe
P.s.: I knew "tickle" would get your attention, Angie.
What if funky, confusing, gray, lonely days were just part of a "system" that, in turn, created bright, rich, happy, friendly days?
What if they were just meant to give deeper elements of your creativity a rest?
What if they were deliberately crafted holidays, of a sort, devised by your inner psyche to relieve you from the pressure of artificial expectations?
Would you still bemoan them, wonder what's wrong with you, or fear that they'll never end? Or, Angie, would they kind of tickle you pink?
You party animal, you -
The Universe
P.s.: I knew "tickle" would get your attention, Angie.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
trusting ourselves
Someone said to me the other day,
I cannot trust myself.
I have thought about this little statement a great deal the past few days. Trusting others can be challenging enough at times, but why is it that so many of us have a harder time trusting ourselves than we do trusting others? It seems if there is anyone in this world we can trust without hesitation, it should be our very self. And yet, most of us find that we have disappointed ourselves so many times in our lives that we have developed an inability to trust ourselves as we have grown into adults. We may trust ourselves in certain areas of life, but not in others.
For instance, a heart surgeon, although she has an incredibly difficult and demanding job, may trust herself in the OR, having great confidence in her skill and ability to handle emergency situations, as she has witnessed herself perform and live up to the demands of the moment, again and again. However, she may not trust herself when it comes to communicating with her mother or choosing her boyfriends, because she has repeatedly gotten herself into situations in which ended up hurt.
Conversely, a mother of three may feel self-confident and secure in the way she handles all family matters and creates a warm and comfortable environment for those in her home, but she does not trust her ability and competence to return to the working world once her children have grown old enough to look after themselves.
A seasoned car mechanic may feel at ease in his shop, not fearing the challenge of taking on a complicated repair situation, yet he does not trust himself to be alone at night and resist reaching for that bottle of liquor.
The bubbly barista at the local coffee shop may feel entirely in her element while she is brewing up her customers’ requests, all the while engaging them in friendly conversation, but she does not trust herself to go home in the afternoon and face the temptation of her pantry and fridge.
Why have we become so distrustful of ourselves? Why do we fall into patterns of disappointing ourselves, over and over again, and how can we change that?
We all have our own set of unhealthy habits that can be difficult to break. Sometimes, these habits are so detrimental that they become dangerous to ourselves or others. In such a case, it is crucial that we seek out professional help and/or the support of our family and friends. Oftentimes, however, it is fairly harmless little habits that we turn into much bigger problems by continually berating ourselves. We might say, Oh, I always say the stupidest things. Or, Boy, why did I have to have that second (or third, or fourth) slice of cake? I will never reach my goal weight and feel good about myself if I continue on like this. Or else, This person would never be interested in me - I am not pretty/handsome/smart/funny enough... you fill in the blank.
By berating ourselves repeatedly, rather than creating new and healthier habits, we keep ourselves stuck in the old patterns we have come to despise, as we keep affirming just how weak and incapable we are. When we recognize that a current habit is not serving us, the best thing we can do for ourselves is to offer ourselves compassion. We may not be able to instantly turn our life around and do things differently, and that's okay. Being hard on ourselves, contrary to popular belief, is not going to help. What will help is being gentle. Being kind. And being loving. Talking to ourselves as we might talk to a loved one, to reassure ourselves and let ourselves know we believe in ourselves.
We can all remember times when someone else believed in us, while we did not. Times they encouraged us to move forward when we were hesitant. Think back to a time when someone else showed faith in you, and think about the impact this has had on your life. People come into our lives, like gifts, to lend us their belief in us as a crutch, to bridge a gap from one part of our lives to another, until we are strong enough to believe in ourselves.
...
What if we started, instead of continually harping on those aspects of ourselves that we believe are lacking, to focus on those things that we do great? …the parts of us we recognize look nice? …the things that we do well?
What if we began to trust ourselves again, the way we did when we were little children?
What if we believed that we ARE good enough, that we CAN accomplish what we set out to, and that people DO, in fact, love and appreciate us for who we are?
What if we relearned to LOVE ourselves?
I cannot trust myself.
I have thought about this little statement a great deal the past few days. Trusting others can be challenging enough at times, but why is it that so many of us have a harder time trusting ourselves than we do trusting others? It seems if there is anyone in this world we can trust without hesitation, it should be our very self. And yet, most of us find that we have disappointed ourselves so many times in our lives that we have developed an inability to trust ourselves as we have grown into adults. We may trust ourselves in certain areas of life, but not in others.
For instance, a heart surgeon, although she has an incredibly difficult and demanding job, may trust herself in the OR, having great confidence in her skill and ability to handle emergency situations, as she has witnessed herself perform and live up to the demands of the moment, again and again. However, she may not trust herself when it comes to communicating with her mother or choosing her boyfriends, because she has repeatedly gotten herself into situations in which ended up hurt.
Conversely, a mother of three may feel self-confident and secure in the way she handles all family matters and creates a warm and comfortable environment for those in her home, but she does not trust her ability and competence to return to the working world once her children have grown old enough to look after themselves.
A seasoned car mechanic may feel at ease in his shop, not fearing the challenge of taking on a complicated repair situation, yet he does not trust himself to be alone at night and resist reaching for that bottle of liquor.
The bubbly barista at the local coffee shop may feel entirely in her element while she is brewing up her customers’ requests, all the while engaging them in friendly conversation, but she does not trust herself to go home in the afternoon and face the temptation of her pantry and fridge.
Why have we become so distrustful of ourselves? Why do we fall into patterns of disappointing ourselves, over and over again, and how can we change that?
We all have our own set of unhealthy habits that can be difficult to break. Sometimes, these habits are so detrimental that they become dangerous to ourselves or others. In such a case, it is crucial that we seek out professional help and/or the support of our family and friends. Oftentimes, however, it is fairly harmless little habits that we turn into much bigger problems by continually berating ourselves. We might say, Oh, I always say the stupidest things. Or, Boy, why did I have to have that second (or third, or fourth) slice of cake? I will never reach my goal weight and feel good about myself if I continue on like this. Or else, This person would never be interested in me - I am not pretty/handsome/smart/funny enough... you fill in the blank.
By berating ourselves repeatedly, rather than creating new and healthier habits, we keep ourselves stuck in the old patterns we have come to despise, as we keep affirming just how weak and incapable we are. When we recognize that a current habit is not serving us, the best thing we can do for ourselves is to offer ourselves compassion. We may not be able to instantly turn our life around and do things differently, and that's okay. Being hard on ourselves, contrary to popular belief, is not going to help. What will help is being gentle. Being kind. And being loving. Talking to ourselves as we might talk to a loved one, to reassure ourselves and let ourselves know we believe in ourselves.
We can all remember times when someone else believed in us, while we did not. Times they encouraged us to move forward when we were hesitant. Think back to a time when someone else showed faith in you, and think about the impact this has had on your life. People come into our lives, like gifts, to lend us their belief in us as a crutch, to bridge a gap from one part of our lives to another, until we are strong enough to believe in ourselves.
...
What if we started, instead of continually harping on those aspects of ourselves that we believe are lacking, to focus on those things that we do great? …the parts of us we recognize look nice? …the things that we do well?
What if we began to trust ourselves again, the way we did when we were little children?
What if we believed that we ARE good enough, that we CAN accomplish what we set out to, and that people DO, in fact, love and appreciate us for who we are?
What if we relearned to LOVE ourselves?
Saturday, January 16, 2010
feeling good
If you need a little upliftment... or if you're feeling good and are in the mood for a song that reflects your beautiful state of being, check out this wonderful rendition by Michael Buble.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
recognize life's little miracles
Miracles are occurring all around us every day, and all we need to do is recognize them to share the blessings of harmony and connection for ourselves, our families, and our world.
- James Twyman
- James Twyman
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
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