When we talk about forgiveness, we tend to think about what someone else has done to us. We think about how we were wronged or mistreated. These thoughts can lead to a very disempowering place… a place where we can’t move forward until we receive an apology or vindication. Since there are many situations where receiving that apology is just not available, sometimes we just need to forgive so we can move on.
There is so much power in forgiveness. Even if forgiveness does not mean reconciliation, there is a reclamation of power in the process of forgiving. At the end of the day, forgiveness is for ourselves.
It is pathway to free ourselves from the suffering that is created when we are wronged.
There is a simple Hawaiian practice I’ve been working with for a few years called Ho’oponopono that you may have heard of. It’s a four-part process focused on repentance, forgiveness, gratitude, and love. Based on these four elements, there are few things that cannot be healed and forgiven.
The philosophy behind this practice is that we’re each responsible for what shows up in our reality. We own our feelings and our experiences. So even if someone else has wronged us, we are the one saying the prayer.
I want to share those four elements with you now so that if you are suffering or struggling, you will be able to move through it in a way that will create so much more freedom in your heart and mind.
The four components of Ho’oponopono, which you can repeat in any order, to yourself or out loud, are:
I am sorry.
(Please) forgive me.
Thank you.
I love you.
Ho’oponopono was created by a therapist who was able to cure many patients from their mental illness or what was ailing them.
What he realized was that we are all in this together, and if we can forgive and love ourselves, show gratitude and love for each other, then there’s really nothing we can’t do.
So, today, if you are struggling or suffering, I would encourage you to try this simple Hawaiian prayer of Ho’oponopono and see what happens. I think you might be surprised at what ends up being released, transmuted, and transformed. Small steps and practices like this allow you to move forward. Give yourself time and space to work with these simple steps and allow the healing to begin.