Forgiveness: The Greatest Healer of All

I've been going to the Center for Spiritual Living for just over a year now, usually a couple of times a month. I started taking notes during the services in June to help me reflect and hopefully take actions for leading a more meaningful life.  

In 2014, the Center's monthly topics focused on a different "Power of..." - Intention, Meditation, You, Humor, Awareness, etc. June's topic was forgiveness. The affirmation, which the congregation recites together near the beginning of each service, was: I live in the spirit of that which I wish to become. I focus on my spiritual heritage. I feel myself to be whole, happy, and well. I'm not really sure what that middle sentence is all about, but I really like this affirmation overall.

These are my notes from June 29 - Removing Obstacles to Forgiveness

We are on our own path and timing for forgiveness, not anyone else's.

The nature of force is to be met with resistance, so how can I create an environment for forgiveness to enter and to exist since it can't be forced? Nurture the inner space so forgiveness can enter.

I am AFRAID that forgiveness will:

- make me seem weak

- mean that it is/was OK and allow the resentful-making activity to continue

- reduce my power over the other < THIS

Remove the fears of forgiving to remove/get at the real problems. Do the "gentle work" to undo blocks and barriers to forgiveness.

Control what is yours to control.

I have a couple areas in my past where I don't feel I possess the power to forgive. But the service gave me some insight. It was good yet also a little uncomfortable and humbling to realize there are a couple of people (notably, my ex...sigh, there's some baggage I should drop, but hey, I'm on my own schedule, right?) whom  I hold a grudge against because I think it somehow gives me power over them. I felt the lack of forgiveness glacier melting a scoche that day.

*****

At the end of January, I went down to the City for our first conference of the year. It was on bitcoin and other crypto currencies. It was quite interesting. Luckily, it was only one day. And a beautiful day it was - thank you, drought.

Our next conference is coming up on the 17th, in San Jose. It's a big one, so I think many of us will be very relieved when it's over.