#315 – How will absolute forgiveness change you?

We tend to think of "forgiveness" as something we do when others or ourselves behave in a way that has a negative consequence. Like, "you hurt me; I forgive you."

My A Course In Miracles lesson today contained, "(...) distress does not appear to be but unforgiveness." (Lesson 193, paragraph 6).

My first reaction was "no!" You may feel distress for things that have nothing to do with you or anyone you could blame. So, how would forgiveness erase the distress?

Reviewing the sources of my distress:

• My son is in jail
• My income is meager and unsteady
• My financial future looks wobbly
• My body seems to be giving up on me,

the pattern became clear: in one way or another, I am causing my distress by wanting things to different than how they are––by not practicing infinite patience.

But wanting reality to be different is futile––I mean, yeah, you can want all you want but that won't change a thing!

What I need is to see things differently, which is what absolute forgiveness offers. Forgiving myself shifts my perspective from "I'm bad because of this situation" to "It is what it is; if there's something I can do to bring change, I will. If not, I will accept reality."

How might absolute forgiveness help you make peace with what you cannot change?

Love,

Carolina