Forgiveness can get you through the most difficult times

Forgiveness can get you through the most difficult times

(From Chapter 6 of "The Real Meaning of the F Word, Forgiveness as a Path to Freedom")

In 2008, journalist Amanda Lindhout was kidnapped by extremists in Somalia and held for 15 months. She was only released when ransom was finally paid. In 2014, the Educational Journal of Psychtraumatology published a discussion with Amanda and Katherine Porterfield, PhD. In that piece, the journalist talked about forgiveness and how it helped her survive:

“No matter how many times I was abused, I always felt the same things – disgust, hate, anger, rage – thick and powerful, like a poison inside my body, causing me physical pain. I knew at the deepest part of myself that feeling hate so deeply was not healthy. The rage I felt scared me; it felt alive inside of me. When my abuser would leave the room, I would choose a mantra to say over and over, with controlled breathing, to calm down. I’d learned this, somewhere, years before. My mantras were often, ‘I choose freedom,’ ‘I choose peace,’ and ‘I choose forgiveness.’ I would say this over and over, for an hour, until my body felt calm. I was learning the power of the positive mind… I had a clear vision in my head of the healthy woman I wanted to become again… Forgiveness was an active voice but not an easy one.”                                                  

Therapists now use these techniques to help survivors of trauma, so they can become stronger, regain their physical and emotional health, and rebuild their lives.

 “The winds of grace blow all the time.  All we need to do is set our sails.”

—Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

Forgiveness as a path to freedom

Dear readers,

I wanted to share with you this brief excerpt from my book "The Real Meaning of the F Word" to inspire you to consider Forgiveness as a tool for healing and true freedom.

Like in Amanda's case, you can use Forgiveness as a survival tool, but you can also use it as a key to experience happiness and well-being.  Chapter 6 "Forgiveness and Health" focuses on how to use this tool to experience inner healing and sometimes the cure of an illness.  Numerous investigations and research from well-known universities offer proof of this.

If you, or someone you know are going through difficult times, either emotional or physical, I invite you to give Forgiveness a chance.