Sunday Homily: Forgive and Forget to Heal

The Best Revenge

Thought is energy. To create it, use your imagination. – Einstein

Now I’ve talked a lot about this concept and how we can use our thoughts to make positive changes in our day. To turn things around and endure the challenges life throws at us. How your thoughts really do create your day, week, year and lifetime is all up to you. So think positive thoughts and be mindful through out your day.

But what happens when the actions of others hurt your heart and drill into your mind? How often have you allowed the baggage of the past to impact your current events or situations with others that make you think of that person who caused you harm?

One of the most common posts I see on social media are pictures and quotes about someone being a cheater, or not having respect for others, and the myriad of ways you can hurt someone and the hope someone does the same to them. Revenge is a wasted emotion and all it does is anchor you in the past. It allows the actions of that negative person to control your day through the hurt they caused. You’re constantly thinking about what they did and how you can get revenge or some satisfaction from their taking responsibility for what they did.

The sad reality is, the person who hurt you will probably never admit they did anything wrong. They’re not going to take responsibility for the choices they made that hurt you. And they’re never going to apologize. So why give them a single moment ore of your time? You’re only helping them to hurt you further.

“Forgiving someone doesn’t mean condoning their behavior. It doesn’t mean forgetting how they hurt you or giving that person room to hurt you again. Forgiving someone means making peace with what happened. It means acknowledging your wound, giving yourself permission to feel the pain, and recognizing why that pain no longer serves you. It means letting go of the hurt and resentment so that you can heal and move on.” –Daniell Koepke

That doesn’t mean allowing the past hurtful actions to create an attitude of being jaded. Other people in your life or who cross your path are going to be like that person who hurt you. Not everyone is a thoughtless selfish taker. So why allow that one negative person ruin your view of the positive people who come in and out of your world? Being jaded only further hurts your journey forward into healing and happiness.

Forgiving is the key to letting go. Letting go means no longer giving energy to those hurtful feelings that do not serve you today. Not thinking about that person, what they said or did allows you to heal and move forward. And in the scheme of things, not thinking about them as if they never existed is the best revenge you can create in your world. Because they’re gaining satisfaction knowing you’re thinking about them and pining away over their actions. Not thinking about them for one more second really is the best thing you can do for yourself!

Allow your soul to rise above the physical emotions and forgive for yourself. So you can truly let go and face the future with a clean slate and an open heart and mind. No one else can do it for you. No one else can heal your wounds. But there’s no need for you to continue to scratch at their pain and keep them open while your heart and soul remain closed.

Let it go and remember who you are today, who you have grown into as a wiser and stronger person. Remember to love yourself and go easy on your own self judgements. You’re only human. Give yourself a break, take a deep breath and decided today that it’s time to forgive, let go and allow the real healing to begin once and for all. Let go and Let the Divine guide your way to healing and new opportunities for happiness.

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