For so many people searching for peace and purpose, the most debilitating source of pain has been the struggle to forgive. Having experienced my own trauma and personal betrayals at different points of my life, I have great compassion to what might seem like an insurmountable hurdle. the journey to release all grudges, to relinquish the quest for revenge, and let go of the fantasy of what might have been is one of the most difficult spiritual challenges we'll ever face. But also the most rewarding. because the other side of forgiveness is freedom. There was a time when I believed the act of forgiveness meant accepting the offender and by doing so condoning the act. I didn't understand that the true purpose of forgiveness is to stop allowing whatever that person did to affect how I live my life now. I only began to see a different path for myself after an expert shared definition :

" Forgiveness is giving up the hope the past could be any different. " I have adopted this as my personal mantra. Accepting this priniciple as a spiritual law to me to the next level of living my own best life.

One of the best quotes I have come across over the years.

" You can accept or reject the way you are treated by other people but until you heal the wounds of your past you will continue to bleed. You can bandage the bleeding with food, with alcohol, with drugs, with work, with sex, but eventually it will ooze through and stain your life. You must find strength to open the wounds, stick your hands inside, pull out the core of the pain that is holding you in your past, the memories, and make peace with them. " This speaks so clearly to me. Pushing against the need to forgive is like spreading poison in your veins. Surrender to the hurt, loss, resentment, and disappointment. Accept the truth. it did happen and now its done. Make a decision to meet the pain as it rises within you and allow it to pass right through. Give yourself permission to let go of the past and step out of your history, into the now. Forgive and set yourself free.