I read a 'Note" some time ago by a Facebook friend and it
was thought provoking. No, actually it
was upsetting.
The writer suggested that because of the existence of
eternal souls, when even a baby is sexually abused, the baby's soul has somehow
drawn the attack onto itself. (The note
said much more than this but this piece got the most attention)
Well that was a show stopper. The note received over a hundred comments.
You can just imagine how people who have struggled all their
lives with the consequences of childhood sexual abuse, who might not be
receptive to this 'eternal souls' concept, felt as they read those words.
As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse (CSA,) I spent much
of my life getting over the blame/guilt trip that is very common among
survivors. As a child and well into
adulthood, I was sure I caused those horrible events. Seeing this new perspective - that my soul
was partly responsible for manifesting the abuse - took some effort.
Once I got past my own experience and emotions I was
able to at least hear the debate and even accept parts of the argument.
What I accepted and what I disagreed with it is not really
my focus in this writing. At another time, I would
love to explore those ideas further.
Today I want to highlight these questions:
* In terms of your
healing process, whether from CSA or any other violation, WHERE ARE YOU?
* Are you able to
read or hear opinions that differ fundamentally or partly, with your beliefs
about the incidents and NOT be forced into reliving the pain of the event?
* What is your
reaction upon hearing that (someone thinks) you had a part in a violation that
has caused you tremendous pain and damage?
Here's the thing to consider. If you are truly interested in releasing the
baggage of personal abuse or violation, commiting to these three things is
vital:
1. Accepting your self as whole and valuable, as is, is mandatory. No one's opinion or belief can/should really alter your value.
2. Being honest with yourself to be able to recognize old unresolved pain for what it is, is crucial
3. Having the
courage to recognize, acknowledge and seize an opportunity for growth and
healing is essential
Without these three conditions, you'll find the healing
process like a roller coaster ride. Up,
down and all around.
Conversations, writings and people will be able to easily
trigger emotions and memories while you miss one opportunity after another for
deep and profound healing.
You see, the healing process is alive and organic. It
doesn't happen once and then you stop.
An easily bruised sense of self is at the mercy of all
things, all people, if it is pegged to past healing experiences or to past
insights.
So here's a useful goal.
Get to a point where you're able to withstand ANY opinion or belief and
participate in the process, respectively agreeing to disagree if necessary
WITHOUT flashbacks, rage, hurt and/or attacks on the bearer of the news. (I know, I know, this ain't easy!)
I thought long and hard, even said a prayer, before making
my first comment at this provocative note.
I realized quickly that the writer's view was simply that: her view!!
It had absolutely NO bearing on me and my responsibility or
lack, for my childhood abuse. NO bearing on my value as a human being, made in
the image of God. None whatsoever.
By relaxing my own personal and internal defenses, I was
able to recognize the aspects of truth.
I was even able to locate those beliefs that were completely consistent
with my own intellectual and spiritual understanding of our universe. My mind and heart was able to expand to take
in something new.
I encourage you to grab all opportunities to respond to a
variety of "triggers" and, the more the better.
We need real life experiences - challenging ones even, to give us the practice and workout required
to limber up once more.
Being able to love like I've never been hurt is my goal,
every day. What's yours?
If not here, write your answers somewhere.
Wishing you peace, joy and love,
♥~
Owning the pain caused by emotional or sexual abuse is an important part of the healing process.
View this short video and complete the exercise...
1. Are you really sorry?
Really, this is a serious question. Many people just want forgiveness and
they ask for it, fully expect to be forgiven. But they're not really
sorry. The pain they've caused is not something they've thought much
about. The remorse is just not there.
So examine your heart; are
you really sorry?
If you're not, more hurt is probably going to be caused by your request.
2. Are you willing and did you articulate a commitment to refrain from the
hurtful behavior or action? If someone is not convinced that
you will do everything you can to NOT hurt them again, do you think they'll be
comfortable with you asking for forgiveness? Probably not.
3. Did you accept the outcomes of your action - whatever they were? Chances are
there are some consequences to pay. Did you mention that in your request
for forgiveness?
Acknowledging consequences and your willingness to
deal with them is a critical piece of the forgiveness story.
4. Do you honestly understand why the person got upset or hurt? Is there
compassion in your heart for what they've experienced? Haven't thought about it? Then you
probably don't understand and they've probably figured that out!
5. Are you willing to NOT be
forgiven and still feel compassionate? Are you willing to give them more
time to heal? If you don't feel patience and warmth but instead you're
irritable and impatient, you probably shouldn't be asking for forgiveness.

I've been asked about this again and again: "I'm
a successful business person, more or less, so why do I need to think about
forgiving past hurts?"
Well, it's that "less" part that
speaks volumes.
Too many people are content with less than their
magnificent best.
Here are three bottom line questions you must answer:
Are you as successful (however you define) as
you can or would like to be?
Do you sense something blocking your brilliance and
your output?
Do you think you are in the creative flow of your
life? (as some would say, are you in the zone?)
I've thought about and revisited these questions
again and again. Recovering from a series of horrendous childhood
events - sexual abuse, forced me to face the demons of my success and
productivity. In a way, I'm grateful for my childhood because I went
places - emotionally and psychologically - and figured some things out that I
may never have had the need to think about.
Why people excel and how excess emotional baggage can
limit success and creativity are topics I've learned a thing or two about - the
research, the degrees, the depressions and lost income, the redemption and the
salvation have all come together to release me and set me free.
Now I'm helping others to do the same thing; be
released and freed up to be their true magnificent, successful self.
Let's take a deeper look at why even a successful
person would want to forgive past hurts.
The principle that connects forgiveness to
productivity is Self-Efficacy.
Self-efficacy is about getting your work
done….whatever that work is at a particular time in your life.
Taking care of and growing your business is a
fundamental requirement for living. As adults we need to take care of our
homes, our businesses and our communities.
How well we take care of things determines our state
of mind. For some, a lack of productivity is a very painful place to
be. Beating up oneself is common practice among those who procrastinate,
for instance. There’s a feeling of failure that surrounds the inability
to accomplish specific tasks.
What does this all lead to? Unfortunately reactions are not compartmentalized.
They spill over into the rest of your life.
Bad feelings about not getting a specific project
completed create more generalized bad feelings about other work that would
otherwise be a breeze.
So suddenly what started as just an over-reaction to
one task or project not getting accomplished, grows into a type of despondency
and snow-balling that literally takes up too much space in your brain and in
your life.
The key point of the self-efficacy principle is to
get those things you deem important done. Get them done in a
timely fashion.
Or else, you find yourself using up space in your
brain and in your life that could be put to productive use elsewhere.
I was stuck in this pattern. Feeling bad
because I was under-producing and of course, feeling bad about feeling
bad! I had to go deeper and deeper to figure out why I was
under-producing to get to the truth of the situation, not just the emotions of
it all.
I kept coming back to a familiar place of psychic
pain and often numbness.
So what did I do to get rid of that? All right answers pointed to:
Feel it,
go through it
and then release it!
I really wanted to be a forgiving person. My
true faith in God was even in question, if I held on to the pain. I
mean if I truly believe in the power of God or Love why would I be existing in
a state of fear?
I wanted to release the baggage. All the research and
spiritual insight demanded it but it wasn't happening.
So what did I do? Started feeling bad and guilty about not forgiving. What a cycle
of self-abuse!
Again, this act of not getting something done created
another layer of negative emotion towards the act itself.
Instead of becoming motivated to accomplish this
important forgiving action, I actually got demotivated. Interrupting
this cycle was critical.
How do you interrupt a pattern of not taking an
action? Nike was on to
something:
Just do it!
You interrupt the negative emotional cycle by getting
the thing done!!
This is the best way to re-allocate that space
in your life and in your brain. Get the forgiveness out of the way (by
DOING IT) and the negative emotions attached to the lack of a forgiving action
on your part just melts away.
Also, the space that’s been used for memories
of this pain, anger over the insult, outrage over the slight…imagine using this
space for creative ideas, project development and for loving others!
Your energies will then be diverted towards projects
and activities that bring lasting joy, prosperity and peace to your life.
***goose bumps*** You will be in harmony with the divine flow of
creativity!
Now that’s self-efficacy.! Making yourself efficacious…making
yourself productive.
Forgive a person and get productive...not just
'ordinary' productive but 'outrageous' productive!
You will produce at the magnificent level that
matches your magnificent purpose in life!
There’s a causal relationship between forgiving and
producing. Whether it’s producing great work or great play, or great
love….when you release pain and guilt and bad memories, you create space for
other wonderful things to get done. Here comes those goose bumps again!
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So if you'd like to see a sudden spike in your
productivity think about what you have not released, of what could be blocking
your creativity pipes.
Forgive somebody today and watch your productivity
soar!
Start small...anyone annoyed you today that you
can practice with?
Have you had the experience of letting something go
and then having a burst of creativity?
Share it here and help someone else make that leap
today.
Do you think there are some exceptions, and not
everything is forgivable?
I would love to hear your thoughts.
In Light and With Love,
♥~
Do at least twice a day; at night before bedtime and first thing in the morning as you rise.
Since the beginning of time, it seems that rituals have served humanity. Now they CAN become routine, ineffective and unnecessarily grand BUT when used consciously and lovingly, rituals can provide a consistency like no other. Rituals are wonderful in creating an atmosphere of accountability.
In addition, a forgiveness ritual in particular can be powerful in cleansing the mind of guilt and the weight of fear based thoughts.
A wonderful ancient Hawaiian Healing Technique called Ho’oponopono came my way recently. It’s so simple and powerful. Dr. Joe Vitale brought it into my world.
It’s based on saying these 4 phrases over and over again, each time with more meaning, until you sense a distinct lightening and cleansing of your being.
I Love You I’m Sorry Please Forgive Me Thank You
This ancient healing technique is said to be responsible for healing an entire psychiatric ward in Hawaii. I encourage you to do some research on the topic. Here's a first look
.
The basic belief is this: Most if not all of what people put themselves through is based on negative baggage carried from the past.
We
hold grudges, we carry guilt, we blame, we hurt, and we’re dissatisfied
because of some perception of lack in ourselves or in others; a lack of
love, a lack of action, a lack of something.
This
sense of lack and dissatisfaction is often connected to prior hurts,
personal decisions and/or behavior or, a lack of action on previous
commitments.
We NEED to forgive in order to move forward. Forgiving others is key; asking for forgiveness is as well.
But first and foremost we must forgive our self; Daily.
Getting
things done on a daily basis and being at peace in our activities
requires daily forgiveness. Creativity and productivity are hampered
by guilt.
Every day we need to drop the baggage of the previous day.
So here is the suggested daily ritual, based on the ancient Hawaiian technique.
I have used this ritual with tremendous success - with clients, loved ones and for myself.
In the morning as you rise, looking in the mirror say the following to yourself:
I love you
I am grateful for another day
I am trying my very best to be accountable
I am accountable for my decisions today
I forgive you for anything that was not forgiven last night
I love you
At bedtime, as you get in bed – a hand mirror is great for this – say the following to yourself:
I love you
I am sorry for anything left undone today
I am sorry for any fearful decisions made today
I forgive myself – I am forgiven for all of it
I am grateful for forgiveness
I love you
Say as many times as needed to truly feel light and loving.
Wishing you Abundant Success,
Julette
♥~
Forgiveness Self-Evaluation
If you have been through a
challenging time with a person and you’d like to save the relationship…and make
it an even better and deeper connection, forgiveness is your only choice.
If you want peace and joy in your life,
forgiveness is the only way to go.
Read each statement below,
be still for a moment then ACCEPT or REJECT it.
1.
I accept that I
am in charge of my feelings.
2.
I accept the
responsibility for my present situation – of grief, sadness, joy, happiness,
etc.
3.
I am in charge of
my happiness.
4.
I accept that I
have no control over someone else.
5.
I accept that if
there is to be any change in my situation, only I can make it happen.
6.
I recognize that
my partner does not see the world as I do.
7.
I recognize my
tendency to see myself as NOT wrong (you are aware of your desire to be right.)
8.
I recognize that
I have blind spots regarding how I impact my partner.
9.
I understand how
easy it is to blame others and accept that I do this more than I’d like.
10. I can express my hurt or disappointment without
attacking or blaming.
11. I understand and accept that forgiveness is not only
my duty as a spiritual being it is a gift to ME…I will be set free first.
12. I understand that holding a grudge made a part of me
feel a warped sense of power…I accept that this is an illusion of power and it actually
made me impotent.
13. I am able to examine my partner’s good qualities AND
honor them.
14. I am willing and committed to saving and growing my relationship.
15. I understand that forgiving is NOT forgetting. I can
remember yet still forgive.
16. I understand and accept that with or without an
apology, forgiving is always MY responsibility.
17. I accept that if I wait for the apology, I will be
hurting myself and my relationship.
18. I am willing to do whatever is necessary to leave the
past in the past.
19. I am willing to take full responsibility for my own
past baggage and seek help where
needed.
20. I am committed to my
personal healing and deliverance from pain.
21. I am willing to accept full responsibility for my
present and personal peculiarities.
22. I accept that I will need to pray unceasingly. When my
hurts, ego or pride is involved – which I accept as a sign of negativity taking
over my thinking and feelings, I promise to pray and not blame; to be silently
in prayer until God’s love for me and mine for Him floods my spirit.
23. I accept that God’s divine grace will always be
available to me IF I am receptive.
24. I understand that though I may forgive today, I may
need to renew my forgiveness as many times as is needed to heal.
25. I accept that my partner may not be perfect to me but
is made perfectly in the image of God, and so am I.
26. I accept that I must be STILL in daily meditation if I
expect to hear from God.
27. I am prepared and able to receive feedback from my
partner about how I might have played a role in the hurtful event.
28. I am prepared to continue loving and praying for my
partner, whether s/he is remorseful or accepts my apology.
29. I am clear that my responsibility is to be loving and kind, patient and disciplined, BEing the solution finder and peace lover at all times, in spite of my partner’s actions.
The rejected statements represent opportunities for further growth.
Record each rejected statement in your 'forgiveness journal' and allow yourself to meditate on it.
What's the source of the resistance? Be still and listen to your inner guide. When you are moved to, write your thoughts and feelings about each statement. Forgiveness like life is a process. The wonderful process of love. In Light and With Love,Julette
♥~
What would you really gain from dropping some baggage today? There's a lot of talk and even research into this question. Here's a summary of what I have found over the past decades.
Oh - after I was done with this list I realized the real numero uno, the real number one reason to forgive TODAY...tomorrow is not promised.
Here you go - top 10 reasons to forgive today:
#10 Your creativity will open up with the space created – more output & prosperity
#9 You will enjoy THIS moment like you never have – more joy
#8 Your vacations and down time will FEEL like real vacations – more fun
#7 You will be modeling peace and love for your children instead of anger and hurt
#6 Your home will be a happier place to be for you and your family – more peace
#5 You will regain control over your own emotions and thoughts – more power
#4 You will enjoy your work or pick a real passion – more zest for life
#3 You will see the beauty in ordinary moments – more wisdom
#2 Your health (stress level, heart, etc) will improve – more quality & quantity of life
#1 Your heart will lighten and you will feel the love all around – more love & laughter
So let me see now, you can have (a little recap)…you can have:
MORE love and laughter
MORE quality and quantity of life
MORE wisdom
MORE zest for life
MORE power
MORE peace
MORE fun
MORE joy
MORE output & prosperity
AND you will be building the forgiveness muscle, making it easier to forgive the next time around – because you don’t expect to run into all perfect people from now on do you?
So, why now would you choose NOT to forgive and be free to reap all these magnificent benefits?
Get unstuck from your past, grab your power and regain control of YOUR thoughts and YOUR emotions. Not forgiving is giving control of your life to a person who offended or hurt you.
FORGIVE them and be FREE.
Wishing you Peace, Love and Light, ♥~