Forgiveness: Part III -- Let Go & Let God

 The road to freedom is through the doorway to forgiveness.~Louise L. Hay

Forgiveness does not mean condoning bad behavior.
Forgiveness does not mean condoning abuse.
Forgiveness is the refusal of holding on to the pain inflicted through word and/or deed.
Forgiveness is refusing to carrying that pain.

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I feel guided to pass on to you an article I wrote back in January 2005. The Transformations we are each undergoing requires our "REMEMBERING" the importance of Letting Go and Allowing ourselves to rely on God Creators when we cannot do what we desire on our own!

Antari & I send you our Love and Great BIG Hugs!

Namaste!

Julia

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Let Go and Let God ©

Let Go and Let God ... These are perhaps the most famous words ever spoken. It is the mantra of the men and women who work a program well known throughout the world for their diligence in assisting people to work through their addiction and releasing their old ways of living… Alcoholics Anonymous.

I have been honored and privileged to know some of those who continue to work the "program" and reap the benefits of the wisdom of letting go and letting God. And it wasn't until I met these people that I came to truly understand what it meant to Let Go and Let God.

The most important thing I learned from these brave men and women is that letting go does not come over night! It is a life time commitment to taking each day as it comes and treating it accordingly.

Meaning ...

Not looking back to yesterday--as it has come and gone. Not looking forward to tomorrow--as it is may not even come. But taking the day you are given--this day, the present--and making good choices to build a strong foundation for the ever present NOW.

While each new day brings us the challenge to slip back into the old ways of doing and thinking...it also affords us the opportunity to stand strong and maintain the boundaries that we have established for ourselves.

It's not easy. No one said it would be.

We have to face the struggles day after day to overcome and move on…to simply Let Go and Let God!

How many times have we sat and wonder if the choices we made were the right thing to do? How often have we beaten ourselves up over the choices we made the day before and wonder why we even bother? But then we remember why. In remembering we then come to accept that we had to make that choice in order to move on to a better way of living.

With each new day that enters our lives, we are faced with choices ... choices that doesn't always bring us happiness, choices that oftentimes appear and feel harsh, cold and cruel. However, if we truly desire to improve our way of thinking and doing, bring about a better way for ourselves and those around us, deep down we know we must make these choices!

No, it isn't easy ... No one said it would be.

When We remember and come to accept the fact that without making those seemingly harsh choices… we could not continue to move forward nor could we continue to improve and redefine our quality of living.

And it is with this realization ... we come to know that we really must let go and just Let God.

In the times we are currently living in, we are being challenged on a daily basis to let go…both individually and globally. We are faced with choices to move on without those we love and care for.

While the reasons vary from person to person…the end result is still the same. We, as individuals, must let go and continue to move forward.

For those of us who have had to say good-bye to friends and family who cross over, the challenge to let go and move on can some times seem harsh and cruel. We think to ourselves… "how can I possibly just let go and move on without him or her?"

For those who had to break free of a relationship, be it with family members, loved ones, friends, etc. they find themselves wondering if they did the right thing by letting go. They find themselves feeling bad for breaking those ties for the sake of personal growth and forward movement.

Irregardless of why and how the bonds and ties were severed, letting go is essential to an individual's progress. It is vital to the growth of a person regardless of what and/or who it is they are letting go.

To get a clearer understanding -- consider the following:

When you were young, you made many friends in elementary school. As you progressed onto Junior High School, some of those friends moved away and you never saw them again. What did you do? Did you stop having friends because you couldn't possibly go on without those friends who left? Or did you establish new relationships? When you advanced to High School and those relationships that you made in Junior High School faded for one reason or another, did you just give up making friends with other people? No, you simply let go and moved on, didn't you?

Same holds true as you advance spiritually. While some relationships continue, many others will be relinquished in one form or another. It isn't easy. No one said it would be! But you do it because you know you must!

You learn and you work through letting go each and every single day. And while some days are indeed easier than others, you know deep within that you must continue to work on letting go. And in those moments when you can't do it for yourself…you hand it over to God.

No, it isn't as simple as it sounds. And yes, you are going to slide back now and again ... more often than you care to admit. But that is all a part of growing and learning.

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Do not look back to yesterday…as it has come and gone.

Do not look to tomorrow…as it is may not even come.

Take each day you are given…as it is given…One day at a time

And when you have done all you know you can…

Let Go and Let God

Forgiveness: Part II --To Forgive Is Truly Divine!

The importance of forgiveness has been proven over the years to be one of the healthiest ways to live. It has been noted that those who practice forgiveness on a regular basis are happier and healthier overall. These individuals do not deny there is negativity in the world, they don't live in some fantasy world where bad things only happens to others. On the contrary, they see it, recognize it, acknowledge it and most importantly, accept it as a part of a learning experience.

In fact, those who practice forgiveness on a regular basis are more apt to exert themselves in assisting others, bringing forth uplifting message by both word and deed, to show by example the benefits of letting go of the pain.

After all, where has holding on to the pain gotten anyone?

For me personally, I have made my share of mistakes. I have left in my wake more pain and tears than I really care to acknowledge. Truth of the matter ... I have wronged many. I have done more than my fair share in perpetuating negativity. I have no excuses to offer. And I can't begin to say how sorry I am.

I will be honest ... some of the pain I inflicted I feel no remorse nor do I make any apologies. This is something I know in my heart I will work through in my own divine timing -- when I am ready.

Admitting to it is half the battle.

I don't spend time mourning those times I screwed up. And I certainly don't beat myself up over it. I realize that all was merely lessons to help me along the way.

I know that through these experiences I have learned a great deal. I know it has made me a better person overall. I have learned that letting go of the pain has made room for healing, and this in turn has created a stronger connection to my True Self.

I wish I could tell you that it gets easier. Some days are better than others...but it is still a challenge even now.

Accepting the challenge takes courage. Working the challenge takes great strength. No one said it would be easy. And it isn't. It is ... what it is.

Speaking from personal experience, the act of forgiveness lightens your proverbial load.

Whenever we truly let go of the burden of pain that we have carried for period of time, there is a physical sensation that occurs. You literally feel an enormous weight lifted from your body. You begin to feel lighter. Your emotions start to balance out, you begin to see the world in a whole new light. In some instances, you will actually begin to hear joyful sounds like birds singing or the sounds of laughter. Sounds--happy sounds-- you didn't notice before. Everything looks more alive now ... more vibrant!

Most importantly ... you feel this connection to everything and everyone.

All of this, and so much more, happens when you simply forgive.

You quickly discover that Forgiveness is truly Divine!

But don't take my word for it! Try it for yourself!

What do you have to lose?

Excerpt from The Say NO To Fear Challenge by Julia K. Cole

  

Forgiveness: Part I --A Hard Habit To Break

 

"The act of forgiveness is not the condoning of any action that causes pain, it is the refusal to carry the pain inflicted by that action." ~Grandmother to The Oracle, Children of the Luminaries: Book III~The Day of Reckoning

Long ago, when I had asked about forgiveness, the answer I received was simplistic in nature. Though it is nothing new, the message bears repeating. 

When we forgive, we are not condoning the action that caused us pain. When we forgive -- we are in refusing to carry any and all pain inflicted by that action.

A Hard Habit To Break

As human experiencers, we develop a wide variety of habits. No greater habit have any of us than the habit of holding on to pain. It doesn't matter how long ago it was inflicted, it doesn't matter how far we have come in our conscious awareness ... our habit of holding on to our pain is ever present.   It is a habit that we hold near & dear to our collective hearts.

We hold on to our pain as though it were a matter of life or death. Why? While the reasons vary, the root of this issue is fear. Fear of not having purpose. Fear of facing our true feelings. Fear of taking responsibility. Fear of owning up to any mistakes we may have made or imagined we made. Fear of being unworthy, of being unloved, unwanted. 

But above all these ... Fear of our own individual power.


We scare ourselves on a regular basis with stories we have been told and continue to tell ourselves about Our Selves. We know instinctively we are powerful beings -- but yet we hold on to the pain in lieu of our power.

We fear being seen as arrogant if we choose to live in our power. So we hold on to the pain in order to blend in -- to be just like everybody else! And just like everybody else -- we begin to forget who and what we truly are.  Just like everybody else -- we suffer needlessly.

The pain we hold on to  allows us to feel. So we hold on to it--with all our being. 

As long as we are feeling pain ... we are feeling something. Right?

The pain allows us to remain in the state of forgetfulness -- all so we don't have to take responsibility for our lives. It's better to let someone else take responsibility for our misery. After all ... they are the reason we are in so much pain. Right?

We hold on to the pain so we can punish those who caused the suffering. If we suffer ... then they surely will suffer more by watching us live in so much misery. We will live in our misery as a shining reminder of what a horrible person they are or were. Right?

RIGHT!

But the question is -- If you let go of your pain ... what is the worst that could happen? What do you believe would happen if you chose to forgive?

What benefits has all that pain brought you? What have you derived from holding on to past hurts?

As with any habit you have developed -- the habit of living in the state of unforgiveness can be broken. Whatever the mind can conceive and believe ... it will most assuredly achieve. This is a proven fact.

The choice is yours. It has always been yours to make. You need only make it!

Many insist they can't forgive their abusers.  Many believe that in forgiving -- in releasing the pain inflicted --  would give their abusers the freedom to do whatever they want -- whenever they want.

Trust me when I say,  irregardless of what you do or don't do, your abuser will continue on with their lives.  Holding on to the pain they inflicted upon you will not stop others from carrying on with their abuse. By the same token, letting go of the pain will not stop others from choosing to continue on with their deeds either.

So the question remains ... what do you have to lose?

In all seriousness ... what do you have to lose by letting of the pain? By refusing to carry it with you?

Holding on to the pain is truly a hard habit to break!  But it is one that can be broken!

Excerpts from Say NO To Fear Challenge! by Julia K. Cole

Next Article:  Forgiveness:  Part II ~ Truly Divine

About Julia K. Cole

What can you expect from someone who considers Putting Reality Back Into Spirituality a personal calling? Straight forward answers that lead to life-changing experiences on a soul level!

Known as The Empress of the Known & Unknown Universes™, Julia brings enlightenment and inspiration around the globe by providing spiritual guidance to those seeking a deeper understanding.

In her personal empowerment consultations, Julia provides in-depth advice, teaches you to tap into your own inner-strength and provides tools to enable you to live a more fulfilling and joyful life.

As a psychic medium, Julia brings healing and comfort by serving as a liaison between those here in the physical realm and those who have crossed over into the spiritual planes of existence.

Julia's weekly radio talk show Namaste Beloved!™ can be heard on Blog Talk Radio every Friday evening starting at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.