To forgive is like saying, 'I love you'

“Always forgive your enemies – nothing annoys them so much.” Oscar Wilde

One of the biggest obstacles to progress in life is the inability to forgive those who trespass against us. Without forgiveness, progress is virtually impossible. It comes with the spirit of ‘heaviness.’ Some people call it the spirit of ‘depression.’  I call it the spirit of ‘stagnation’ because it lets you get stuck in the past. The negative effect of non-forgiveness tilts more heavily toward the person that is not forgiving than the person who needs to be forgiven. That is the mystery of non-forgiveness.  When you have forgiven someone, it means you have thrown the ball back inside his or her court.

It takes the courage of a great man or woman to say ‘I’m sorry’ even when you know you are right.  Saying ‘I am sorry’ is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength.  Saying ‘I forgive you’ is the nearest thing to say ‘I love you.’  This is God speaking in you and you in Him.  

Mark you, forgiveness is not necessarily the same as forgetting. Forgiveness is the first step to forgetting. Being hurt is like an open wound which takes time to heal.  But the process of healing a wound starts from the moment the injury was inflicted.  That is the same at forgiveness.  It starts from a strong will to forgive the moment you feel hurt by the action or inaction of another person.

Once you have the developed the courage to forgive and you begin to put it into practice, you will begin to notice the positive changes in the way you think not only about yourself but also about others.

The positive thoughts will align you with the universal positive energy. This positive universal energy attracts new ideas into your mind.  You begin to go out to the right places. You begin to attract the right people into your life.  

If you doubt what I am saying to you, I want you try the following exercise with one person with whom you have had a long period of altercation and begin to notice what happens after a few days.

Now let's get started:

I want you to sit in a quiet place and image one person with whom you have some kind of long-standing conflict sitting there in front of you.

Now I want you to say out loud and clear, directly to him or her, "I forgive you. I surround you with love and light, and I do the same for myself."