Living the Virtues Series: Forgiveness as a Spiritual Principle
Forgiveness as a Spiritual Principle
The last installment of the virtue of forgiveness is all about applying it as a spiritual principle in your life. This past month, I have blogged about applying forgiveness into every aspect of your life, from yourself, others to your past and so on. Today is the final installment of forgiveness. The quote that I have picked out is by Reinhold Niebuhr and it states: “To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.” By now, if you have continually read and implemented my Living the Virtues Series, then you have a pretty good understanding of who you are. You know the perspectives and attitudes you have in life. There is a reason why implementing this series into your life is so important. I believe that each and every one of us can lead a virtuous life. This does not mean that everything will go smoothly or perfectly in your life. It does mean that you learn the value of acceptance, or forgiveness, or kindness, or honesty and have the choice to utilize these virtues in your life.
If you have ever listened to the Dalai Lama than you know that the basis of life is peace and happiness. Forgiveness is a form of love. I have witnessed and experienced peace and happiness that come from letting go and forgiving. Let go of anger, resentment, past faults. Those things are like chains. They bind you. Holding onto these chains will not improve your life. You are limiting yourself from living in joy, from experiencing this freedom. Peace is available. Always.
Most of the time, you can look at other humans and see that some of them are carrying around their chains. You have control over yourself. Get to a point where you can release those chains. Pursue a higher level of being and you will attain a greater level of peace and happiness. To implement forgiveness as a spiritual level means that you understand the three other steps in forgiveness and you have done your homework and practiced the concepts and affirmations. When you do this, you increase your awareness of the virtue of forgiveness and your thoughts are focused on just that virtue. This series is really meant to change your life so that you can reach higher levels of peace, joy, and happiness.
For today, your affirmations to work on should be simply these: “Forgiveness is a form of love.” “I am grateful to God for my ability to forgive.” “I release my past to it’s highest spiritual progression.” “I communicate love.” Practice saying these during the week. These affirmations are meant to change your attitude and help you focus on the meaningful things in life.
Remember, forgiveness is a process. Through the month of August, I have focused on forgiveness and given you tips and affirmations for you to implement each step into your life. Changing your perception will bring you love, peace, and happiness. Thanks for reading. InJoy your day.
