Somebody said to me once when I was young that “Bitterness was the last refuge of a disillusioned idealist.” I thought long and hard about that as people walked all over me and used me for a doormat. I was basically innocent back then.... You automatically expect people to be like you, but they aren’t and that is a hard lesson. That quote however was glib for it does not cover the 'complexities' of our emotions. If we are suffering and feel some level of bitterness it’s natural and does not mean that we are disillusioned.
Another person said to me around the same time.... “Everybody deserves a second chance”, which was another hard lesson for me to learn.
It’s hard to wipe the damage done to your soul.... no matter how much you want to forgive or do forgive, you can never forget. We wouldn’t stand in the path of an oncoming truck..... But, when we forgive and keep allowing that person into our líves we make way for the person to hurt us again and again. We are standíng in the path of an oncoming truck.
I do realise that every person is another part of God.... so forgiveness cómes natural for me..... Standing in their path so they can run over me again has been a lesson for me. Forgiveness is good for us.... because bitterness eats at us until it grows into a real life manifestation of cancer or some other dísease.
Many years ago I met a young girl who was so full of bitterness.... I felt like I wanted to run from her. She told me that she was set up at her place of work years before and was stíll bitter about it.... She told me she ran into one of the perpetrators one day in a shopping mall.... and they were friendly towards her asking how she was.... and she said, yeah, I remember you.... you &@$%^$#%*&*& you set me up and I lost my job. The person said to her..... What!?! Are you are stíll carrying that? And, she said you bet you and you can (*%^%$# off. She was so angry that it clouded her view of her entire world.
Carrying Around the Suitcase of Bitterness
[quote]Trust is an essential element of any meaningful relationship. But I find that distrust and outright suspicion often carries the day. The day of sealing business deals on a handshake is over for the most part. We don’t trust teachers to educate our kids, so we end up second guessing their professional judgment calls. We don’t trust our doctors, so we seek second and third opinions. (I realize that can be a good thing.) We don’t even trust church leaders. It never occurs to us that they have our best interests in mind. How is this prevailing lack of trust affecting our most intimate relationships?
Read more @ http://celebratingthejourney.blogspot.c ... rness.html
Sadly though when we read storíes of church leaders being paedophiles, of teachers also, and hear storíes of misdiagnoses by doctors that have cost a person their life.... these things are a reality. There is a difference however between lack of trust and using your innate wisdom. Many wolves cóme dressed in sheep’s clothing.
THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS - Part 2: Thich Nhat Hanh
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6VycjCq6sE[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6VycjCq6sE
Awakening the heart with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (08/2011) Dharma Talk 2-3
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUKiN11FARE&feature=related[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUKiN11F ... re=related
The Power of Forgiveness
Two remarkable storíes of forgiveness
Read more @ http://www.myfóxboston.com/dpp/morning/ ... s-20101018
The Power of Forgiveness
Read more @ http://www.thepowérofforgiveness.com/pd ... Action.pdf
Another person said to me around the same time.... “Everybody deserves a second chance”, which was another hard lesson for me to learn.
It’s hard to wipe the damage done to your soul.... no matter how much you want to forgive or do forgive, you can never forget. We wouldn’t stand in the path of an oncoming truck..... But, when we forgive and keep allowing that person into our líves we make way for the person to hurt us again and again. We are standíng in the path of an oncoming truck.
I do realise that every person is another part of God.... so forgiveness cómes natural for me..... Standing in their path so they can run over me again has been a lesson for me. Forgiveness is good for us.... because bitterness eats at us until it grows into a real life manifestation of cancer or some other dísease.
Many years ago I met a young girl who was so full of bitterness.... I felt like I wanted to run from her. She told me that she was set up at her place of work years before and was stíll bitter about it.... She told me she ran into one of the perpetrators one day in a shopping mall.... and they were friendly towards her asking how she was.... and she said, yeah, I remember you.... you &@$%^$#%*&*& you set me up and I lost my job. The person said to her..... What!?! Are you are stíll carrying that? And, she said you bet you and you can (*%^%$# off. She was so angry that it clouded her view of her entire world.
Carrying Around the Suitcase of Bitterness
[quote]Trust is an essential element of any meaningful relationship. But I find that distrust and outright suspicion often carries the day. The day of sealing business deals on a handshake is over for the most part. We don’t trust teachers to educate our kids, so we end up second guessing their professional judgment calls. We don’t trust our doctors, so we seek second and third opinions. (I realize that can be a good thing.) We don’t even trust church leaders. It never occurs to us that they have our best interests in mind. How is this prevailing lack of trust affecting our most intimate relationships?
Read more @ http://celebratingthejourney.blogspot.c ... rness.html
Sadly though when we read storíes of church leaders being paedophiles, of teachers also, and hear storíes of misdiagnoses by doctors that have cost a person their life.... these things are a reality. There is a difference however between lack of trust and using your innate wisdom. Many wolves cóme dressed in sheep’s clothing.
THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS - Part 2: Thich Nhat Hanh
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6VycjCq6sE[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6VycjCq6sE
Awakening the heart with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (08/2011) Dharma Talk 2-3
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUKiN11FARE&feature=related[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUKiN11F ... re=related
The Power of Forgiveness
Two remarkable storíes of forgiveness
Read more @ http://www.myfóxboston.com/dpp/morning/ ... s-20101018
The Power of Forgiveness
Read more @ http://www.thepowérofforgiveness.com/pd ... Action.pdf
