Forgiveness is a challenging task because it is an uncomfortable introspection of our feelings, thoughts, and perceptions. When we hurt, our dark parts whip us into a frenzy of hate and madness. Many of us succumb to our adversary and seek vengeance against those who victimize us.
Once we are in this emergency state of rage our wisdom is pushed away and the venomous pain eats our days. This cycle is hard to break, it often requires an outside catalyst to stand in its way. We need our friends and loved ones to serve as a sounding board to repeat our words so we may hear how horrible we have become.
Friends with weak souls will always be there to prevent us from achieving our goals. Friends of virtue and strength will push us towards personal power and encourage us to become a mighty tower.
To live with forgiveness we must have a relationship with our edges. We all have an edge over others. These gifts allow us to slice through life and sometimes they are so sharp we cut ourselves with them. Our edges are often the reasons we fail to live a life of forgiveness. These strengths are powerful, and are often hot to the touch, unfortunately when we are burned they leave a bitter taste in our mouth, and the heat of our heart sends sparks into the air that ignites our forest of life on fire.
What are my edges?
I have grit, passion, and purpose. I love life and respect death. I fight to have a humble heart and empathize with others. I am uniquely interesting, comfortable in my own skin, and confident.
Grit
I will live and die against the grindstone of life. There is no amount of strife that can halt my walk. Nothing will stand in my way, and when you get to know me you will see my strength in every second of the day.
Passion
My passion is unparalleled. It takes me high into the sky with its might, but sometimes I lose sight in flight and collide with unfortunate scenes. It sets me free, but it also has the tendency to enslave me.
My passion is sweet and hot like a freshly baked cookie. The melty chocolate chip bits are always so tempting to taste with the tip of my tongue. When I smell those delicious morsels I cannot resist plucking one off the tray and popping it into my mouth. Though I know the heat burns my fingers my desire to taste them is too great. “Holy moly that cookie is crazy hot!” I say as it scalds my taste buds. This is how I love, and though many times it strips me of my feathers it sometimes allows me to fly like a dove.
When push comes to shove I will always pursue the future with passion and love.
Purpose
I have a goal and need to leave behind a legacy. I must forge our world into something wonderful. My purpose is to slice away your suffering, teach you to have a relationship with hope, and help you make the most of your moments.
Unfortunately I do not have infinite energy, and sometimes I stretch my rubber band too far. This leads me to forget the importance of leisure and rest and I set aside my desire to relish the delights of life. The more I work the more I want to work, and this continues till it snowballs into a hole.
The scope of my goal is enormous, its magnitude requires a soul breaking ambition and as a consequence it often shreds my spirit. Fortunately I have learned how to keep my purpose within pens and fences to protect myself from myself. This helps prevent my tired mind from embarking on emotional adventures that are not advantageous to my heart.
I Love Life and Respect Death
The poetic words I choose to use are a means to inspire your mind. I want to light a candle so it’s flame may illuminate your way. I want to encourage your heart to heal and experience the magic of each moment.
I fight to have a humble heart and empathize with others.
I have lived an interesting life. I have tasted the barrel of death and faced terrible evils. I have been tortured, mutilated, violated, abused, attacked, poisoned, and split open. I have known the greatest pleasures, witnessed wonders beyond imagination, met beautiful spirits, and explored life with majestic souls. My journey has been amazing, awesome, and in many ways unbelievable.
These experiences have granted me a unique love for life and a healthy respect for death. However with all things great they too come with a terrible reflection. Sometimes the vastness of these experiences limits my ability to enjoy the treasures of existence in profound ways. I often feel like an alien, an outsider, or a creature standing at the edge of oblivion.
For years I have lived like I was about to die. This has marred my soul in ways that have limited my personal goals. Overtime I have chosen to set my spirit free and leave these shadowy thoughts at the edge of my tree, but like any specter they will always be there to haunt me.
Forgiveness
I believe forgiveness is a willful metamorphosis. It is a journey of twists, turns, and terrible things. It is a story similar Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.
Our quest is akin to the adventures of Frodo Baggins on his journey to Mount Doom. However, instead of fighting orcs and monsters we are battling ourselves.
To me forgiveness is a personal battle. It is the acknowledgement that others exist, that they too are bumbling through life, and are doing everything they can to thrive. Forgiveness is a powerful exercise of our humility, personal boundaries, empathy, and creativity. Truly it is one of the greatest explorations of our humanity, and the first step in achieving harmony.
It is a challenging road to walk because the trail is muddy and speckled with sharp stones. Everything is slick and slippery and ultimately if we fall it is our fault.
This is because we chose where we wanted to walk. We could have worn better shoes, trained to have greater balance, or simply avoided the slippery puddle on our path.
Hindsight is always 20-20, and we tend to see our actions as the only ones we could have taken. Unfortunately we rarely consider the thoughts and emotions of others in these same situations.
If we want to explore the metamorphosis of forgiveness we must empathize with others and actively fight against our propensity to victimize ourselves. We can achieve this by looking deeply into our actions, reactions, and the complex matrix that makes us who we are.
Forgiveness is more than a word, it is more than empty platitudes, it is a divine transformation. It is a lifestyle and a philosophy that we must engage every day.
Our suffering ends when we give purpose to the pain. Taking charge of our horrors opens the door for us to see our hardships as blessings, and with each morsel of wisdom we can help others through their hurt.
Forgiveness is a gift, one that is shared throughout our community, but like all things great it starts with the individual. If you want to live in a world of peace and harmony you must first find it in yourself. You must be the inspiration that lights the lantern of life and shows the world how bright and beautiful the day can be.
