Forgiveness - The Greatest Christmas Gift There Is

The holidays are definitely upon us. Even though we can have lots of fun tempers can also get short. To help make our holiday time with family and friends more enjoyable remember this. What we think colors the world we see. If we want to change the world around us all we need to do is change the way we think about the world. The way we see the world is fueled by our thoughts. Our thoughts are very powerful. They determine who we are and how we choose to see others and our circumstances. Our thoughts are colored by our emotions which are also fueled by thoughts. So, if we want more happiness in our lives then we need to become more aware of our thoughts. This is what forgiveness is about.

Forgiveness is a voluntary act, a decision to let go of our anger and resentment so we can have happier and richer lives. It is not about denying the other person's responsibility for hurting you and it doesn't minimize what your experience is. It means that you choose to see the situation differently, in a way that can bring you peace. It helps you see with spiritual sight. This is what the holiday season is all about.

Eliminate Holiday Stress through Forgiveness

Holidays are about getting together with family and friends. Although these gatherings can bring joy it can also create a lot of stress. Relationships between some family members may not always be smooth going and cause tension and stress. It is also not unusual for us to go home and begin judging or blaming people for what we think they have done. Our expectations may also get us in trouble and can be out of line with what our reality is all about.

One way to deal with the stress of the holidays is to remember what the holidays are really about, the practice of forgiveness. Forgiveness is a voluntary act in which we make a decision to see things differently, not through the eyes of anger or guilt, but through the eyes of understanding and compassion. Forgiveness is a decision to let go of our emotional baggage. It is not about letting someone off the hook, it is about our decision to let go of the past and move on. Holding a grudge against someone really only hurts the person holding the grudge. Deciding not to forgive is a decision to actually continue our suffering.

The following are some suggestions to help us in being able to forgive.
* Be willing to entertain the thought of forgiveness.
* Recognize our tendency to play the victim role and be willing to let go.
* Remember that forgiveness is about letting go of our emotional baggage. our hurts and our resentments.
* Recognize that our judgments are not facts.
* Ask yourself, would you rather be right or happy?
* Think about making peace of mind your primary goal to happiness this holiday season.
* Remember that forgiveness is a key to that happiness.