Wake Me Up: Morning Positivity - Morning Motivation for Forgiveness | Inspiration to Forgive Yourself & Others

Episode Date: November 2, 2022

This morning, find inspiration to discover the freedom and happiness you seek through the act of forgiveness. Enjoying Wake Me Up? Get ad-free access to the entire WMU catalog + bonus content by joining the WMU Premium Feed. Sign up and start your 7-day free trial at https://wakemeup.supercast.com/. Follow the show on Spotify - Apple Podcasts - Amazon - Podchaser Say hi or request an episode at www.wakemeuppodcast.com/contact. See visual guides for the yoga and stretches in WMU episodes at www.wakemeuppodcast.com/stretches. And find the podcast on Instagram and TikTok. **Only partake in the physical movements suggested in Wake Me Up episodes if you are physically able and in safe surroundings. All movements are done at the individual's own risk. Be safe, and always consult a doctor if you have any questions or concerns.** Have a wonderful day 😃 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you'd like to enjoy Wake Me Up completely ad-free and get access to exclusive bonus content, check out the link in the show notes for the Wake Me Up premium feed. Hey there, and welcome to Wake Me Up. I'm your host, Tyler, as always. Today, we're building on this week's theme of forgiveness. Forgiveness has so many sides to it, and it isn't always easy. In fact, it can be one of the hardest things that we ever do. For that same reason, it can also be one of the most freeing things that you can choose for yourself.

Forgiveness can change your entire life, allowing you to escape the past and create peace and the present. But before we dive in, just pause for one moment. Take a deep breath in, and as you exhale, just allow your body to relax. And while you're here, think of one thing that you might. like to be forgiven for. Maybe you made a mistake or hurt somebody. We've all got something from our past that we're not super proud of. And that's okay. That makes us human. If you can understand that about yourself, then you can understand that about other people too. We all have something we want to be forgiven for. And if we just allow a little space to let that happen, I bet we'd all be a lot happy.

Now that we've had a little pause, feel free to go about your morning routine, making your coffee, having a stretch, or going for a walk, whatever it is you like to do. And while you do that, let's dive deeper into this topic of forgiveness. The biggest thing that holds most of us back from forgiving is the assumption that forgiveness means the underlying harmful action was acceptable. But that's not what forgiveness does, and that's not what it means. Forgiveness means accepting that the past cannot be changed. It happened, and this is where you are now. So acceptance is the starting point towards forgiveness. If you aren't sure where to start, if the road to forgiving yourself or another feels daunting,

start with acceptance. By acknowledging the reality of your situation, and just to be able to be able to be able to be. being okay with it. Acceptance doesn't mean that you deserved for it to happen, or that it was okay that it did. But by forgiving ourselves or others, we are choosing our own peace. We're choosing to fully accept that the past can never be changed, no matter how often or how intensely we may beat ourselves up or wish ill on another for it. What we can change, though, is our present and our future.

If we're so stuck in the past, then we're bound to repeat our prior sufferings. We have to let go of the past in order to provide for a better future. And I know the road of forgiveness is bumpy, it's painful, it's dark, and it's even chaotic at times. While you're on that road, trust that you are headed in the direction of your own long-term happiness. That road allows you to live in the present without holding on to past feelings of pain that interfere with the future you want to create. You have a right to enjoy the present without feelings of shame, guilt, embarrassment, or pain. You have the right to feel emotionally secure. And you have the right to be forgiven and to forgive.

Another roadblock towards forgiveness is shame. Whether that shame comes from what you've done or what someone has done to you, what that shame tells us is that we don't deserve to be forgiven. Now that is simply not true. There is nothing that says you should punish yourself for the rest of your life

or that you'll always feel the heavy weight of pain caused by another person. You're allowed to put that weight down. In fact, when you do, the rest of the world will benefit. Because when other people see someone who can forgive themselves and others, they're given permission to do the same. So be a leader and forgive yourself so that you can finally come into the fullest expression of who you presently are.

You're not the same person you were years ago, months ago, or even last week. You're constantly evolving, learning, and becoming better. And remember, that past version of you, they were just doing the best they could with what they knew at the time. So try to remind yourself of who you are today. Remember all that you've done and how far you've come to get where you are. You have changed so much. What needs forgiveness is in the past.

and you deserve freedom from it. Imagine what your life would feel like if you no longer harbored lingering feelings of anger and resentment toward others. Imagine how you would feel if you accepted your prior mistakes and just moved on with your life. The great gift of forgiveness is that it offers freedom, freedom from the emotional chains of your past. And it's okay, too, if you're not ready.

There is no rush to forgive. Pushing yourself to do so could even create more resistance to it. Remember that forgiveness is done for yourself, not for another person. It's your own tool to create freedom, peace, and happiness in your own life. Viewing forgiveness as a daily practice, the same way you practice meditation or yoga can really help with this. It makes it feel less like a to-do and more like a direction you're going with your life. It also helps to release any expectations about how quickly forgiveness might come. Some acts of forgiveness can be done in a day and others may last a lifetime.

Again, it's a practice of peace and it is never your responsibility to forgive. Rather, it is your gift. Forgiveness is the act of telling yourself that you deserve long-lasting peace and happiness, that you shouldn't be bogged down with leftover resentment and anger. My friends, the sooner you find forgiveness, the sooner you'll find true freedom. Well, that's all for today's episode, I hope it has you inspired to build a little forgiveness into your life. I know that it will lead you down a path towards further happiness and contentment. If you struggle with forgiving yourself, maybe you have something lingering in your past that you're still dealing with, tomorrow on the premium channel, I'll be doing a meditation

specifically to help you deal with that. So I hope to see you there. Now I'll talk to you soon. And until then, go out and have a fantastic day.