Let's start with the fact that forgiveness is not such an easy achievement or the key to peace. It takes a lot of effort when really hurt.

To forgive and smile back as if nothing happened

Therefore, I would like to share my experience with the art of forgiveness. The most important thing I would like to focus on when speaking about forgiveness, is self-forgiveness, and that when you are at peace with yourself, you can also forgive in relationships.

I remember when I was still in the 9th grade, there was a woman working in our school library who was like a guru to many students. No not only because they liked them, because she knew how to handle them well, but because she owned an extremely large one wisdom base and experience. Once I went to her for a book. In fact, often the book was not needed at all, but it was necessary to meet him and ask him for advice. Another time, taking the book, she whispered to me what she felt seeing me

This time, when I came to take the 9th grade chemistry book, she asked me: "How are you?"

Without hesitation, I told the first thing that hurt my heart at that moment. No one else was in the library. Silence… Conversation about the relationship, and I told her: "It's like I forgave the person who hurt me a long time ago, but still something about all this makes me uneasy.

And I don't know and can't understand what exactly." She answered me: “Before we can forgive anyone, we must forgive ourselves.

Maybe you, Ieva, haven't really forgiven this person at all?".

Recommended to try a method that could lead me on the right path, that would encourage me to get to know the magic of forgiveness. Her words: "Ask for forgiveness when you look in the mirror! It will be hard at first, but don't give up. Look at yourself as someone else person, and pray until you feel that you have forgiven yourself."

Having received such advice and counsel, I did not realize that I would ever attempt to do this. I couldn't say that I didn't believe that I had from so that will work, but I put it off for later, as we often do with our lives and relationships with us important people. But it didn't take long, my heart was still tormented by the relationship pain I felt and carry with me like a mold.

Then I was finally ready to learn forgiveness.

It wasn't easy and I didn't succeed at all the first few times. But with each next and next time I understood more the power of forgiveness. Each time I asked for forgiveness, I accepted myself as I am. It was much easier for me heart, and soon forgiving was a real action, not just words in my head. Energy flowed and after a long time time, forgiving myself of various anger, fear, inability, craving for dreams - unfulfilled goals, I felt peace in himself. Such a peace that I wanted to forgive myself for the misdeeds and misfortunes of relationships. I cried and laughed, but through it the word "forgive" and the thoughts of the other to be forgiven came sincerely, unforced.

And, as I mentioned, forgiveness was no longer just a verbal confirmation that everything is fine now, but an action in feelings - free and uplifting peace. Misfortunes and pain became a light reflection of the experience, and this experience was colored brighter in colors. As the Latvian folk song would say: "I put my sorrow under a rock, I went over it singing!" With clean conscience without carrying weight.

In the relationship with yourself, as with the other, work must be invested. After forgiving myself, I was able to forgive the other and more to others, and with all my heart. Never reliving wrongs or wrongs again. how come I am up to now thought about it a lot. And truly - due to the fact that we are different in experience, character, upbringing, we see a lot from our point of view, which forces us to draw conclusions - sometimes ones that benefit us, other times not.

And often we ourselves figure out what is wrong with people and then we ourselves are disappointed in them!

But, really in them or still in yourself? And I want to say with all my heart that everything starts from ourselves. From us relationships with oneself. How do I see myself, do I love or respect myself? And by observing and following the relationship, it turns out that the way we see ourselves, we also see other people around us and often form relationships with them.

Forgiveness is an art, or the art is to forgive. Sometimes it takes years to forgive, other times people can't forgive someone for a long time. But we must remember that the main thing for us is to live in peace with ourselves. And we will have to live with ourselves for a long time. May there be peace and inner happiness, one must forgive oneself and others. Forgiveness is like recovering from something abhorrent. It can heal.

The feeling that we are forgiven cannot be compared to anything else - it is a great relief. And that's what happens when we forgive for yourself and for the other.

Author of the article: IEVA FLORENCE

Photo: DAGMĀRA LEGANTE, JĀNIS ŠKAPARS

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