Perhaps one of the reasons why forgiveness is so hard is because forgiveness often requires us to let go before we are ready. Forgiveness causes us to accept this reality that sometimes we have to leave behind our desire to know why they said those words, and why they acted in that way, and why these feelings still linger today. But one thing we don't leave behind is abundant, grace filled room to heal anyway.

The past will not change, and we can heal anyway. Some doors are permanently closed, and we can heal anyway. Learning to breathe in the hallway, even before our mourning turns into dancing. This is forgiveness as a practice. This is what forgiveness feels like - when we realize that it is okay if those feelings of anger, resentment, bitterness, and hurt don't go away all at once.

Moving on doesn't happen all at once. This work takes time, investment, and courage to stay present. Because right here, on the other side of what happened, is this present moment. And in this present moment, we are free to practice forgiveness - practice letting it go. For in this space, this remains true: we don't leave peace behind us. Peace, which is room to breathe, is a gloriously divine continuum that keeps finding us over and over again, steadying our souls, reminding us that no matter what we fear, we can still practice letting go, right here. Right here there is room for our heavy hearts to see. Even when we do not get the answers we were longing for the peace we are seeking is still rising slowly and steadily all around us.

For the hurt that we feel might linger a little longer than we want it to. And it might find us in the middle of the afternoon when the smallest sliver of a memory takes us back. But in that moment, we also find we are free to exhale. At last, we are free to exhale. There might be a grudge, there might be a memory that won't seem to fade, and at the same exact time: there is also today to realize that forgiveness does not make you weak. Forgiveness does not mean you accept or approve everything. Forgiveness is a practice of letting go, being free, realizing that the past does not have a permanent hold on who you are right now.

Journal: Have you ever done something that others might perceive as weak, but it was actually strong?

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Whenever we start to feel like we can't be stronger, any longer, may we remember the generations coming after us. May we remember that when we find the strength to cultivate courage, that courage is contagious.

That courage has ripple effects in the lives of those around us. Courage is gritty, and oftentimes imperfect. Courage is the action we know that we must take, even if we have to do it a little afraid. Courage is saying what we need to say with humility and grace. Courage is the willingness to accept that you might get it wrong sometimes, and you might need to be corrected. But even then, you can say thank you. You can see this as an opportunity to learn and grow. May this be the season you say goodbye to holding back. May this be the time of your life you always remember - the time where you chose to accept that even though you were going to face obstacles lined with fear, you are going to choose to keep going anyway. You are going to keep reminding yourself at any given moment, someone is watching. And they're not watching to see you get it all right. They're watching for an example of courage, an example of someone who is willing to keep going, amidst everything they're going through. And you don't have to prove yourself to this person, but you do have an opportunity every day to let your courage have a ripple effect in the lives of those around you. You do have an opportunity to do what you know you need to do for your soul - even if you have to do it afraid.

So May your courage be contagious. May you show up with all you have, knowing that from the very beginning, you're not going to get it all right and that's alright. You're still going to become who you are meant to be; you're still going to live to tell a story of how you continued to rise above, even when you didn't feel brave enough or smart enough or worthy enough. All by grace, you continue to stay the course. You continue to take action where you need to take action and practice stillness where you need to practice stillness. You kept breathing deep in the wild of your fears. You kept acting on courage, trusting that there is a reason you are here.

Journal: How will you act on courage today?

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Support this podcast:

Leave a review in the Apple Podcasts App!

Download my app "Storyteller" for daily messages, wallpapers, and FREE push notifications: http://onelink.to/stapp (http://onelink.to/stapp)

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Mentioned in this episode:

https://onbeing.org/programs/john-odonohue-the-inner-landscape-of-beauty-aug2017/ (Inner Landscape of Beauty (On Being Podcast Episode) )

Support this podcast:

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Needs Inventory: https://www.cnvc.org/training/resource/needs-inventory

Feelings Inventory: https://www.cnvc.org/training/resource/feelings-inventory

Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon (book): https://bookshop.org/books/steal-like-an-artist-10-things-nobody-told-you-about-being-creative/9780761169253?aid=9296

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The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde, 'Stations' page 358

Every Moment Holy by Douglas Mckelvey, page 215

Download my 'Storyteller' app, available for Apple and Android 

Art prints, stickers, books and more in my online shop Garden24

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