In the climactic final scene of the Mormon musical, “Saturday’s Warrior” (yes. I said Mormon musical and I can sing you most of the song compilation) the lights go out and Momma Flenders, who’s giving birth at home, in a lightning storm, screams through gritted teeth, “YOU DID THIS TO ME!”
Now I’m not entirely certain what goes on behind closed doors in the Flender’s house, but It was implied that she’d been an active participant in the creation process.
Confessedly, I’ve given away my own power, focus, and emotional well being repeatedly by uttering, implying, or believing that same phrase or something similar—You did this to me. You’re to blame. It’s your fault. You’re evil incarnate.
There were times when those statements kept me safe. Yet they quickly wore out their usefulness and rotted into swirling, festering angst that ate away or concealed the best parts of me.
Sometimes it’s true. Factually. The deed was done and I did not decide it. Other times, I was an accomplice to my own pain. Often, I was simultaneously perpetrator and victim. Mirroring one another sure can be frustrating!
I’ve been collecting ways to regain my power, focus, and emotional wellness. I’ve learned no technique more effective, more healing, and more aligned with who I want to be in the world than the practice of forgiveness: forgiveness of self and forgiveness of each other.
I f-ed up. You f-ed up. Let’s get on with it. We are also fully capable of doing it better. And the ones who aren’t? Well if they’re truly incapable that’s not their fault either. It just is. It’s up to me to choose how to navigate that.
In an incredible workshop I once enjoyed, a student queried of the guest teacher:
“But what do we do? How do we end karmic patterns and cycles? How do we leave the past behind and move forward?”
The therapist and facilitator responded with small but knowing smile: “Forgiveness.”
Forgiveness 101 shows you how to let shit go and move forward with compassion and empowerment. It's a guided journey, complete with a series of exercises that lead to emotional freedom and healthier, more loving relationships.
Do you want to forgive but don't know how? Do you simply desire to get on with your radical life without being pulled back into the emotions of the past? These exercises will help you hone the skills of empathy, fresh perspective, and radical accountability, so you can do just that. It's time to let it go! Let's do this!
