SELF-FORGIVENESS – 28 DAY SPIRITUAL CHALLENGE – DAY 2

“To err is human, to forgive, Divine.”

Well, God (sometimes also known as D.O.G.) does not actually forgive, because God/The Universe Loves unconditionally and never judges us in the first place. Yes, Loves unconditionally – that is God’s Unchanging  Nature.  How I came to understand that after 40 years as an atheist is a long story for another day.  But if we can accept a Divine “Something” that every religion tells us is a Loving Energy, a Force for Good beyond ourselves, can we shower ourselves with Love as we let that Divine Love flow through us?

Not always.

Yesterday we started un-cluttering our lives to expand a channel for our good to flow.  Self-forgiveness further opens the channel, allowing more and more Divine Good to flow through it, and self-forgiveness supports us in living our Holy Purpose.  We silence our Voice and hide our Light under a bushel when we spend our time beating ourselves up instead of getting on with being who we were born to be.

We have all made mistakes, we have all hurt other people, sometimes even on purpose, sometimes even people we love – that’s part of the human journey.  Otherwise we would have already graduated.  These mistakes are part of our learning process as we each clear our path up the Mountain of our Life.  We judge some of our mistakes harshly – and sometimes it is very hard to live with the long-term consequences of our errors. Feeling unworthy, our self-judgment creates barriers to letting Love and Light flow through us as they are meant to do.  Or at least that’s how it works in me.  I spent way too many years feeling inferior, flawed and unlovable and some of that still lingers and bites me you-know-where from time to time.

Pain is inevitable in this life, but suffering is optional. Suffering comes from cradling pain to our bosom rather than releasing it into the Flow of Life. The past is gone and whatever happened, happened.  We can’t change the past, but we can change the future.

Today’s Affirmation:

“I fully and freely forgive and accept myself with love.”

Repeat this affirmation several times morning, noon and night and during your spiritual practice, below.  The spiritual practice is meant to help you believe the affirmation when you say it.

Your Spiritual Practice:

Prepare yourself to release the pain today by calling to mind that which you have not forgiven yourself for.  It could be painful, but you can do this!   If you should tear up, know that tears are Nature’s way of washing us clean.

First find a comfortable spot.  Soften your shoulders, relax your face, smile gently (thank you Thay) and take a few moments to move your focus inward as you breathe consciously. Then feel your heart chakra expand as you open it to find your Center.

Now imagine being by a beautiful stream and then spend 5-10 minutes in a consciousness of self-love as you surrender your self judgments to the Stream of Life, one by one.  Repeat your affirmation to yourself as you release each one. Ask for and accept your own forgiveness for any events, actions, inactions, words or other activities for which you have not fully and completely forgiven yourself.  Some people even write them down and then burn or flush that which they are releasing.

Say, each time, “I fully and freely forgive and accept myself with Love.”

Then give yourself some love in a healthy way.  Listen to your favorite music, or dance around the room, or get in the hot tub, or call your best friend… you get the idea.

Extra: Then, journal your experience. ***If you decide to publish your experience, please feel free to share and promote it in the comments under this blog.  

This 28 day challenge is my expanded version of the November Spiritual Challenge at the Center for New Thought Spirituality, Tucson, AZ