Healing with the practice of gratitude and forgiveness

  
This morning I was thinking about happiness and life satisfaction and how important it is for gratitude and forgiveness go hand in hand in healing. 

Healing oneself is hard work. The easy thing to do is keep on the same track you are on rather than changing your thought patterns and working to bring yourself into alignment with your purpose. 

I’m asking you to put on your “I own this life” pants, take a deep breath, and commit yourself to doing this work. 

We tend to lean on the wrongs we perceive and use them as crutches to remain in old patterns that don’t work for us. We wonder why we aren’t getting ahead and think that it must be because we aren’t worthy of greatness because we need something first (more money, a better job, a romantic partner etc). You are so worthy of happiness right now as you are. 

You are entitled to happiness no matter where you come from, how much money you have in the bank and whatever your life circumstances. I’m going to suggest a couple of ways you can start contemplating change in your life to keep yourself on track. 

1. Take stock – take regular opportunities to sit quietly and look at your life. What’s working? What isn’t? Commit to change what isn’t working and release it to make way for the new. 
2. Set intentions – as part of taking stock, you need to set clear intentions on what you want from your life. Set up goals and break them into small steps. If you make the steps too large, you might get discouraged and give up. Make the steps achievable. 
3. Celebrate Success – when you reach a milestone, celebrate in the best way you know. Treat yourself to dinner or some new clothes or whatever makes you happy. You did it! You should be proud of yourself!
4. Focus, focus, focus! – focus ceaselessly on your target. Feel as if you have already reached it. Feel the feeling of having it. Check in often with your intentions and events in your life. Are you on track? Stick some affirmations on post it notes and stick them where you will see them. Reminders are always great!
5. Meditate – I can’t say enough about the benefits of meditation and this is where the forgiveness and gratitude come in. 

When you are working on releasing something and you are meditating, I find it helps to start your meditation by spending a few minutes observing your breath. Then, once you are feeling clear, calm and peaceful, start to think about things for which you are grateful. Things that make you really happy. Meditate on this for about 5-10 minutes. You will start to feel really good. Next you are going to move on to thinking of someone you need to forgive. Picture their face in your mind. Hear your voice tell this person you forgive them. Then release them with love. 

Don’t be too surprised if the person that pops up for you to forgive is yourself. Maybe there was something you did to another person that you are carrying and you need to forgive yourself. Maybe you’ve been thinking a lot of self limiting or self deprecating thoughts. Forgive yourself too. 

Once you forgive and release, you should feel your energy become lighter. 

Again I’ll mention that this practice takes a lot of work. Forgiveness can take a long time. Chip away at it through your meditations and that should make a difference.