Forgiveness and Gratitude

Forgiveness is an essential ingredient to elevating self-esteem as it is a critical component in the process of healing and resolving (or completing) one’s past. Failure to forgive yourself and others causes a stagnation of energy focused on past hurts and failures  — “stuck in the muck”!

It is important to first forgive yourself for any past mistakes you have made. When you do this and clean up any misspoken words or regrettable actions, you can then free up the wasted energy focused there, and start living in the present — a “clean slate”.   Life is a continual process of learning and growing that requires us to forgive and commit to doing better in the future.

Then, by forgiving others, takes that ‘oh-so-important’ empathy, realizing that all of us are not  perfect, and understanding that people do the best that they know how to do based upon their life experiences, limited thinking, and upbringing which has caused their perspective on the world. Taking the steps to forgive others shows us that by maintaining resentment, anger and an attitude of vengeance only hurts us and damages our health, relationships, happiness and Personal Power.

The importance of gratitude.

The world is an endless source of abundance, if you believe in yourself and your ability to attract good things. It starts with the innate expectation of success, happiness, rich relationships and all the good stuff you desire. And, if you want to amplify all that good stuff coming your way, having gratitude for all that you already have in your life will do just that. Gratitude allows us to gain a sense that we are connected to all the good the universe has to offer us.

If you are feeling that you are unlucky, and never really get what you want out of life, incorporating gratitude into your daily routine is the antidote to all the challenges of the ego including:

• Being a victim
• Feeling sorry for yourself
• Resignation
• Having a scarcity mentality
• Perception of lacking
• Isolation

Gratitude allows us to transform the negative happenings in our lives to positive ones. We have the ability to create an empowering interpretation to see the good in everything.

An old Buddhist teaching instructs: “Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die, so let us all be thankful.”

Always look for the good! When we realize that “it is all good”, we can look for the gifts in any experience and be grateful. We can find good in everything if we ask ourselves the right questions….

“What is good about this experience or situation?”
“What gift awaits my discovery here?”
“How does this situation contribute to my understanding, soul growth, compassion, and ability to have empathy for others?”

When we lack gratitude, we operate from a distorted perspective that does not support our happiness, energy and Personal Power. We all have an addictive emotional state that runs our lives as we scan for opportunities to be angry, sad, or afraid. This natural reactive state diminishes our self-esteem and damages our relationships. Gratitude counteracts our automatic interpretation of anger, sadness or fear. When we create new interpretations that are free of negative emotions, we enhance our relationships, personal effectiveness, happiness, peace of mind and health. The vast majority of the time, worry and anxiety are a waste of energy as our greatest fears never actually materialize.

Try this instead…

Trust that we will be provided with everything that we need. Gratitude promotes positive thinking, healthy spirituality, and because all physical disease is a manifestation of an internal mental or spiritual condition, it supports good health. Gratitude supports us to expand our mindset and look for the good in everything. It supports our relationships as it helps us feel loved and cared for by others, thus elevating our self-esteem and happiness. Gratitude is a form of love.

What we think about, we bring about.

Gratitude is directly proportionate to happiness; the more grateful you are, the happier you will be. The more things you bring to your attention to be grateful for, the more blessings will come into your experience. It’s like a magnet. When we commit to being grateful in our relationships, we tend to look for things to make us happy, allowing us to perpetuate that happiness.

Along with empathy and forgiveness, gratitude is a key element essential for the attainment of happiness, relationship harmony, wealth, success and fulfillment.

Attitude of Gratitude.

Adopt an attitude of gratitude as a daily habit. When  you see the world through grateful eyes, you want to contribute more to others, expand your horizons and take on more profitable risks instead of wallowing in self-pity and shrinking from fully realizing your potential.