Turning Truth Into Forgiveness

My last posts have been tackling the idea of telling the truth … all of it. The good, the bad, and the ugly (as my father in law used to say).

I believe that it is in telling the whole story that we can come to each other, and to our Self, with an authenticity that can be found no other way. And that is the place from which deep connection, acceptance, and love begin.

I attended a beautiful online meditation with Danielle LaPorte recently, and she said these words.

“The heart is for giving. The heart is forgiving.”

I had to sit with that for a while. Taking those words apart and then putting them back together, I felt a bit confused. So I kept listening. Danielle then said that steadiness comes from keeping our hearts open, which can feel counterintuitive but really isn’t. 

I think she meant that being open-hearted can feel vulnerable and risky; we might be prone to brutal misunderstanding from others or real internal pain.

But , at the same time, being open-hearted will also result in finding the truest, deepest connections possible. Without defenses or walls to break through, our purest, most authentic Self can meet others with honesty and genuineness.

Walking through the world in this way, from an open heart and with love … what steadier place could there be?

And so once again, I come back to my deepest belief:  we must know and love our Self deeply. It is the cornerstone upon which our best life, our fulfillment of purpose, and our joy rely. 

I understand now. From our heart, we can give. And from our heart, we can forgive. Forgive anything we need to … inside of us, as well as within our relationships.

So today I ask you to allow these questions into your heart:

• What do you want to give?
• What do you want to forgive?

And tomorrow I’ll offer you some ideas about how to get there.

The supreme act of forgiveness is when you can forgive yourself for all the wounds you’ve created in your own life. Forgiveness is an act of self-love. When you forgive yourself, self-acceptance begins and self-love grows.

Miguel Angel Ruiz