We’ve all experienced challenging moments in our lives; situations that may have left a lasting impact on us. Even now, we might still be holding onto some leftover emotions such as resentment, anger, hurt or guilt, from something that has happened in the past. Our inner world is reflected in our outer world, and also how stored emotions can manifest in our physical body. Holding onto these emotions is not only unhealthy for your mind, but also your body and your life. That is why forgiveness and gratitude can transform your life.
Forgiveness and gratitude is not always easy
I know that it’s not easy to let go and forgive. I’ve been in challenging situations in the past where its taken a long time until I’ve been ready to forgive, to be thankful for the experience, and to finally let go. We know that often it’s through the challenging experiences that we grow and learn the most. Sometimes it’s only after the challenging situation that we look back and realise how much we needed to go through, to be where we are today. But even when we KNOW we have learnt a lot from the situation, it can still take time. It takes courage and strength to open our hearts wide enough to deeply understand, forgive and let go.
Inspiration from Queer Eye
I watched an episode of Queer Eye a few nights ago, and this one particular episode had a huge impact on me (Season 4, episode 2). Queer Eye is a series about 5 gay guys (the fab five), who makeover and transform someone from the inside out. This particular episode featured a man called Wes, a guy who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. He was heavily involved in drugs and crime. When he was 24 years old, he was shot numerous times, rendering him paraplegic. He ended up spending the next 2 years bedridden, his mum taking care of him every day. Now (in the show), he is 30 years old, living full time in a wheelchair, unable to move his legs. Wes is also a single father of a daughter, 10 years old.
How things can change
When the fab five meet Wes, he is all smiles. He completely turned his life around! Wes is now living a happy, healthy and full life, winning bodybuilding competitions and taking care of his daughter. He even started a charity called ‘Disabled But Not Really’ for which he advocates and raises money and awareness for disabled people. Wes fights for the equality of all people – and he does this all from his wheelchair.
Understand, forgive and let go
The most moving part is when Wes finally meets the man who shot him all those years ago, face-to-face. This man had tried to kill him, emptied bullets into his body, and left him to live his life as a paraplegic. Wes had grown so much since then, had fully turned his life around, however he still had one thing left to do. He looked the man in the eye, and forgave him. After all he had been through, he was grateful for the shooting. It was the catalyst that motivated him to completely transform his life. He is in a far better place now being paraplegic than he ever was when he could walk. Wes also had the opportunity to finally understood why this man did what he did. He was not only able to forgive, but finally, he was able to let go.
Who do YOU need to forgive in order to be free?
To me, that is a truly inspirational story. We all have people in our lives that anger us, frustrate us, or hurt us. There are people who we struggle to understand, and haven’t yet forgiven. The thing with forgiveness however, is that it’s not about the other person. Forgiveness is an action we choose to do to free ourselves of carrying around that emotional burden that we’ve been holding onto all this time. By choosing to forgive we are not condoning bad behavior, but rather simply deciding to let it go. If Wes can find it in his heart to genuinely forgive the man who tried to kill him, who left him paraplegic for life, then perhaps we can open our hearts and forgive those who have hurt us too.
Forgiveness and gratitude can truly transform your life. If you need help in learning how to forgive and let go, book in for a Reiki and Intuitive healing session here. These sessions are a combination of coaching and Reiki, two of the most powerful transformational tools we can use to shift our perspective and energy, and set ourselves free.
