New day, World Forgiveness Day

After writing to several of my closest friends about it, and receiving some very supportive and positive feedback, I've decided not to put this off any longer. We are launching a new "Holiday". We'll see how it goes.
This is something we all need. There are no gifts to buy, no cards to send. It will cost you not one thin dime, but will reward you in priceless measure.
I got the idea mostly from Unity Church of Clearwater, A Course In Miracles, and working as a hospice nurse for the last 5+ years.
Sunday, March 1st (we're "marching" off into this) will be the first celebration of World Forgiveness Day. I suggest times of 11:11 AM and 11:11 PM as good times to do this, because it's easy to remember. If those times don't work for you, pick your own time, you will still be with us. My dear and close friend Mary has been most helpful with this, taking time to write something for it. She wrote:
Forgiveness
Is a process, and a journey. It may start with one person, one painful memory, one word, one thought, one action. It takes READINESS. There is "exchange" involved, i.e., give Love in exchange for the hurt, anger, memory, etc.
Realize the human-ness of the "other" person involved, are any of us Perfect in our speech and actions? That person may be hurting badly too.
Remember that Gandhi, Desmond Tutu, and Jesus forgave those who did great harm to them.
Know that resentments, blame, anger, bitterness, are toxic to our bodies when we hold onto them. These are the reasons for many illnesses.
True forgiveness is freeing from "stuckness" and will move us forward in life. Forgiving OURSELVES is most important, and is not always easy. But when we forgive ourselves, it is easier to forgive others.
Now, Gratitude is part of this process. Bless and see the person. situation, or hurt as healed and happy, fulfilled, and at peace. Understand that another may have been dealing with their own deep challenges at the time he or she turned on you.
Ask for assistance from your own Higher Power (whatever you call it) and expect that assistance.
Forgiveness heals, blesses, releases, brings back joy. It helps us grow into a closer relationship with our True Self and with others.
There is a great book by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu called The Book of Forgiving.
An exercise that we all can do will be coming soon, so Stay Tuned In! I hope you'll join us.
Of course, I welcome YOUR comments!

Have you seen the movie the Power of Forgiveness? It's a very moving and powerful documentary.

Not yet. I don't go out to movies. Where can I get it?

Netflix or your local library it is great you will love it! It's a very very good documentary on precisely that very subject!

If you can't find it it's cheap enough at Amazon


Ironically the day I watched it some idiot from the NRA called me during it to ask me to agree that I was against Obama etc... I laughed was polite and went back to the movie.

Aloha Nickie, I believe in second chances for most...it depends on the individual situation and circumstances...if it was intentional pattern to cause harm....I cannot condone that...
but I try to forgive, isn't that the most important

Thanks Olarte! I will look for it.
Stan, I get what you're saying.
Forgiveness doesn't mean that we condone anything.
It means that we don't have to carry around the stress of hating and resenting the act or words of the person we've had a problem with.
We don't need to accept the other person's deeds as "okay" or acceptable. They may not be. I'm riled every time I get in traffic in my car, but that doesn't mean I have to let it ruin my drive. I read affirmations (at stop lights). I listen to positive, beautiful, uplifting music. I smile at the drivers sitting next to me at stops, and wave to drivers when they let me merge in. And I always try to let others merge in, no matter how big a hurry I think I'm in. If anyone gives me grief, or if I accidentally cut someone off, I show em my badge, and say, "sorry, I'm from hospice". That almost always melts em. Once, some guys in a big truck swore at me, gave me the finger, and I yelled "sorry, I'm a hospice nurse on the way to a dying patient". They said "so what, f--- you."
Well, they will need us someday....and I forgave them, and wished them a happy day, the idiots! LOL
Just go through the motions of forgiving, even if you're mad as hell, and it will give you a better day.

Sunday March 1st is the first "celebration" of our new event, World Forgiveness Day.
Here is a technique that we can all us to help us make it real, make it stick. I learned it many years ago and have used it in all kinds of situations where I found it difficult to let go of some hurt, real or imagined.
Take a tablet of lined paper, like a legal pad, and a good pen. Sit in a comfortable place where you're not likely to be disturbed by people, phones, TVs and the like. Think about something that really has you perturbed, bothered, pissed off.
Now start writing, don't think about what you're writing, that is don't' try to control it. You're writing from the heart, not just your head.
Keep writing until there is nothing, I mean really nothing more to write about it. Make sure you have allowed the pen to stop writing on its own.
Let your heart pour everything out onto the paper. Use as many sheets as you need (I've used as many as 6 long legal pages on one subject or person).
You are not going to mail it, so don't be shy, don't hold back. Curse if you like, bless if you like. Let it out! This is your chance to say what you've always wanted to.
When you are done.....
don't read it,
don't look for mistakes,
don't fold it up and put it away,
don't show it to anyone.
Take it to your outdoor grille, or fire pit if you have one (I had to do this in a bucket on my 2nd floor porch once)
Now, wrinkle it up like kindling.
Strike a match and set it afire.
Watch it burn, go up in smoke. The fire releases it, the smoke takes the leavings away, forever. (You can do this as many times as you need)

Now, take a little break, then sit down and write some things that you like about yourself. Keep it. Look at it whenever you need to. Add to as you like. And be grateful.

Happy World Forgiveness Day!

Yup Nickie, people who intentionally cause harm in any way I cannot condone. ..for whatever reasons
I don't need them to suck the happiness out of me...