“Once you’ve

accepted your

flaws no one

can use them

against you.”

Tyrion Lannister (in Game of Thrones television series)

Part Four of Five:

Expressing Forgiveness

So how do we “accept” and “love all this?

All that we are…the dark along with the light? The easy with the difficult? The resounding successes with the crippling failures?

And all those same characteristics that are present in others?

The answer that eases our load lies within the option of forgiveness.

We often say “I just can’t forgive that. I refuse.” After all, egregious acts always deserve, and therefore must receive, judgment, not forgiveness, right? We are often taught or simply accept, that forgiveness is for weak people. Doesn’t forgiving mean we are agreeing and going along with with things that feel dark and completely wrong to us?

Well, hang on second.

Forgiveness is a choice.

Always.

In essence, forgiveness IS an expression of love.

And it is actually NOT for the weak.

Not at all…

For it takes tremendous courage to forgive.

But let’s clarify something here:

Forgiveness does NOT mean I condone something that happened.

Forgiveness is actually not even something I am giving to another. Though we more often hear “Please forgive me!”, as if it is a blessing to be bestowed on an undeserving person…

It is in reality actually something I choose to give…

To myself.

Yes, it’s about ME.

How? Because to forgive, I must love myself…the most. And this is where we so often fall so short.

Forgiving means I love myself so much I am allowing myself to release the burdens of my anger, judgements, remorse, hatred…so I may move on to a lighter heart and a life no longer controlled by these thoughts and emotions. I agree NOT to be controlled by anything else except Love. When I can release these heavy burdens of anger and resentment, my vision is cleared so I may begin to live with the insight of Love alone.

Forgiveness is giving yourself permission to Love…fully. And we always have the option to extend this to others…but…first of all, especially to ourselves.

Remember, we can only give what we have within.

So I need to Pause to reacquaint myself with all of who I am, “warts and all”, as they say. I will need to shift my view of my own “flaws” so I begin to see them as a means access power.

(End Part 4/5)