FORGIVENESS

One thing I have learned about life is that you cannot be happy unless you are at peace with yourself, and with others. Conflict in life is inevitable, even more so if you are at the mercy of hormones. Hormones are nasty pieces of work! Whether they get you at the teen stage of life, or in midlife - Beware - they're going to get you sometime! and their mission is to blow everything out of proportion, and make you angry and feisty and at war with the world - well you know the rest of the story...!! They hop bigger and badder than fleas...

So, let's assume you're normal, and are at war with someone...C'mon, there has to be someone!??  - your spouse, ex-spouse, mother, father, sister, brother, butcher who gave you shank and said it was fillet, your obnoxious neighbour, teachers who haven't a clue about your prodigy, your best friend who never returned that dress, etc.

If it is causing you pain...real pain...pain that wont go away... I dare you - be the BIG one and apologise! Yes, just do it - don't even think about it. Knock back the pride fast, fast, fast - just like you would your medicine. It is a well known fact that forgiving someone heals, not only the one forgiven, but the forgiver as well. So it's a WIN WIN WIN situation.

Don't let the hurt stay in your memory, remaining as an irritant long after the pain was originally experienced. Don't nourish it, or give it the power to poison your life, to affect your health, and to compromise your peace of mind.

Forgiveness is SO important and I would love to recommend Marianne Williamson's book 'A course in Miracles' which deals with this topic a lot, and beautifully, it has to be said. To quote from her book "What you have learned from pain can be fuel for
a magnificent future".

Drop the Cross...Embrace the Sky!

Here's her little prayer for peace.

Dear God,

Please teach me how to forgive.
Show me the innocence in others
and the innocence in myself
I surrender to you my judgmental thoughts
May I see beyond them
To the gentle peace
that only forgiveness brings

AMEN