WHY SHOULD I FORGIVE YOU?

FORGIVE OTHERS FOR YOUR OWN FREEDOM As we begin this new week, let's welcome Monday with a spirit of forgiveness. Perhaps someone said or did something this past weekend or week that upset, hurt, or disappointed us. Maybe it was a friend, or parent, a spouse or a child, maybe it was a coworker or a complete stranger. You might already have someone in mind. When you think about what they did or said or how they behaved it might bring up anger, or frustration, or resentment...isn't it wild how those feelings can come just by thinking about it? They probably aren't sitting next to you as you read this, but you can still feel it. The way you feel right now is coming from your brain, not from the individual you are thinking about. Let's not do that to ourselves. It has been said, "Holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to get sick." Haha....how true that is!!! We must practice a spirit of forgiveness. We must forgive others so that we can be free. Forgiving is not being a doormat. Forgiving isn't devaluing our worth or our quality of life. Forgiving doesn't make us smaller than the other person...forgiving others brings freedom to ourselves. When we forgive, we allow ourselves to unload the burden of negative thoughts. It allows us to put down the heaviness of judgement. One of the easiest ways that I find to give forgiveness is to say a kind word about someone. "That person upset me, but I forgive them, and I hope that their day gets better so they can be better for those around them." Remember, "Hurt people, Hurt people." So if someone was nasty or rude or mean...there is something going on in their life. It maybe small or big, but it is affecting how they behave in the world and it affects how they feel about themselves. Their outside behavior is a reflection of how they feel on the inside. And while you may have to deal with someone being nasty for some part of your day...they have to live with themselves 24-hours a day. So be kind and offer forgiveness whether someone deserves it or not. It isn't giving them permission to do wrong, it is giving yourself permission to be FREE. Have a great week everyone. I love you all. As always, if this resonated with you, please share or tag a friend so we can share positive messages in the sea of negativity. (10.16.17 - Phillip Andrew)