Welcome to the Additional Material page for The Energy Of Forgiveness, Chapter 6.
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What does the word “forgive” mean to you?
List the top two or three things (events) you need to forgive right now. As you write each one down, pay attention to how you feel about that event or issue, and write that down too. Also, rate the intensity of the emotional charge for that event from 0-10 with 0 being no intensity, and 10 being extremely intense.
For each item:
Describe how you are putting energy into that item, and rate the energy level from 0-10.
How is the energy you’re putting into that item affecting life for you – is it making your life better or creating more difficulties? How so?
How does that energy feel for you? Is it pleasant or unpleasant? Does it increase or deplete your overall energy?
Think back to the very very earliest memory that you have. Write down your age at the time of that memory, and describe the memory.
For example, my earliest memory is from when I was two years old. It’s a still image, but it has attached memories of activities surrounding the image. I was 2 years old, standing in a doorway looking into the living room of my home. I remember the furniture – the angular mid-century deco-ish couches with scratchy fabric, my dad sitting on the couch. We still had the couches when we moved to San Antonio when I was in the 3rd grade. I remember there was a step or two down from the doorway into the living room. I remember a small record player that my dad had that would play 45RPM records, in a niche in the wall to the right. Interestingly enough, I’ve been told that the record player was actually in a bookcase on the wall.
For your one specific memory:
Is it a still, or a “movie?”
How did you feel during the moment of that memory?
How do you feel now about the moment of that memory?
Was that an important moment in your life, or relatively unimportant?
Most people will have a memory from very early childhood – maybe earlier than 2 years old, maybe later, unless they’ve had some injury or disease later in life. For instance, I have a friend who has survived several strokes which have erased most or all of his memory of time prior to his strokes. When my mother had Alzheimer’s she could remember some events from early in her life, but not events from more recent times. She did not remember anything about flying – she didn’t recognize the instruments, or even remember that she had been able to fly herself or that she had taught me to fly.
Assuming you can remember events from very early in life, especially relatively unimportant events, how does that affect the idea that you can forgive something through forgetting the event?
What effect would it have on your life if you habitually intentionally forgot things? Would you be able to differentiate between things that should be forgotten and things that should be remembered on an ongoing basis?
Describe the single most emotionally painful event in your life. What was it about that event that made it painful? Did you learn anything from the event? List at least one “blessing” that resulted from that event. Do you feel that you are a better, or not-so-better person for having experienced that event? Was the event valuable in terms of who you are now?
What is your impression of God’s “take” on forgiveness? How does God forgive? What is your impression of God’s “take” on your forgiveness or lack of forgiveness?