Learning to Forgive E-Book

Kerstin Hack

• Herausgeber: Down to Earth
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Serie: Quadro
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 49

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

We can all think of a situation when we were hurt, betrayed or abandoned by others. Incidents like that often make us prisoners on the inside, and the pain related to them can last a lifetime. Forgiveness is an effective tool to deal with suffered injustice. This Quadro shows why forgiveness is worth the effort, whicht attitudes may help to forgive and what practical steps can be taken to make forgiveness happen. Ideal for everyone who wants to let go of suffered offenses and acchieve inner freedom.

Leseprobe

Kerstin Hack: Learning to Forgive – The Art of a Life of Inner Freedom

Quadro No. 16

© 2012 Down to Earth · Laubacher Str. 16 II · 14197 Berlin

Design: www.michaelzimmermann.com

eBook Conversion: Stefan Boehringer, eWort www.ewort.de

Photos: photocase.com - PhotoSuse (1), designmaniac (6), fleps (14), kallejipp (22), Knipsermann (30)

Translation: Doro von Auer and Lucas King

ISBN 978-3-86270-515-3

ISBN eBook 978-3-86270-513-9; eBook-PDF: -514-6; Smartphone-App: 978-3-86270-033-2

Originally published in German under the title: “Vergeben lernen – Die Kunst, innerlich frei zu leben”

Contact Down to Earth Laubacher Str. 16 II 14197 Berlin, Germany Phone: +49 (0) 30 - 822 79 62 Fax: +49 (0) 30 - 897 31 670 Email: [email protected]

Further books by Kerstin Hack and inspiration for your life

www.down-to-earth.de and www.meinquadro.de

Learning to forgive

Living well is the best revenge. —George Herbert

Ouch, that hurt! We can all think of a situation when we were hurt, betrayed or abandoned by others. This is often very painful, even long after the incident. How can we overcome this pain, and maybe even restore the relationship?

In this Quadro we will take a closer look at these questions. Forgiveness is a timeless tool that’s useful for letting go of suffered injustices and opening up our hearts once again. Human beings have experienced the power of forgiveness regardless of what period of history they lived in. Nelson Mandela is a living example of the power of forgiveness. For 27 years he was held captive by the South African apartheid regime, but he forgave those who wronged him and led an entire nation to a new beginning. He later became President of this nation. 

In our lives, things are usually not as dramatic. The injustices that we suffer may be limited to mobbing, accusations, attacks, and losses. But that doesn’t make it less painful. Every single injustice, no matter how large or small, is painful and requires a remedy.

We need freedom from the reoccurring thoughts about the suffered injustice that we simply can’t get rid of. We need release from the painful feelings connected to it. And we need release from the despair and lack of vision that often follow the suffering of an injustice.

The process of forgiveness is a useful tool to deal with a suffered injustice. It sets us free from those thoughts that circle around our minds and it brings relief for our hurt feelings. It also releases us from despair. 

It is a path that offers many opportunities, but entering it is not easy. Even people that desire to forgive often don’t know how to do it. They have no idea what precisely to do in order to forgive someone.

This is exactly why I have written this Quadro. It is my goal to help find answers to these questions.

I’ll start with an explanation of what forgiveness actually is – and what it is not. 

In the second part, the focus lies on the value of forgiveness. I’ll describe the many benefits that forgiveness brings. I consider this to be important because some people try to forgive out of a sense of duty (“I should forgive”). This can actually pose an obstacle to forgiveness, while looking at the benefits can make it easier to forgive. 

The third part deals with attitudes, thought patterns and approaches that can be helpful in the process of forgiveness. 

In the final, fourth part, I’ll suggest practical steps for forgiving someone. This part provides a kind of roadmap which can help with the practical implementation of forgiveness. 

This Quadro is very personal. Life has provided me with plenty of material to draw from. In fact, right when I started writing, I experienced a rather hurtful and confusing situation in my life. I was pretty heartbroken about what had happened. Through this, I had the chance to – involuntarily but thoroughly – test everything I was writing once again in my own life.

As the author of this Quadro I’d like to express my thankfulness to several sources of inspiration. The readers of my blog www.heartofberlin.de have inspired me by a lively conversation about factors that may facilitate forgiveness. I’ve also bene­fitted from Prof. Arnold Retzer’s seminar called “The Art of Forgiveness”. A warm thank you to you all. 

It is bad enough that injustice happens to us. But we don’t have to make life worse by carrying suffered injustice around with us forever. It is my hope that this Quadro will help its readers to live well, because that will be the best revenge! Yours,

—Kerstin Hack