Have You Done Something You Feel Sorry About?
Forgiving yourself is just as important as forgiving others, says Carlos Warter, MD, PhD, a spiritual psychiatrist and the author of Pathways to the Soul (Hay House, 2000). To feel forgiveness, Warter recommends meditation. First, sit comfortably with your eyes closed and take relaxed, deep breaths. Now ask for forgiveness, either aloud or silently, from all those you feel you may have harmed. Maybe it was as minor an offense as being short with a coworker or as major as not telling your mother you loved her before she died. Continue to take deep breaths and, while exhaling, imagine a ray of warm sunlight reaching out to those who may have harmed you. Think of your sister-in-law insulting you behind your back (or so she thought) or a friend who “accidentally” left you off her New Year’s Eve invite list. Visualize each person and imagine your heart and theirs connected. Finally, forgive yourself for false expectations, lingering resentments, and ways you have been unkind to yourself.
—W.D.
