Teacher: Teacher Ophelius

The message for today is about self-forgiveness.  We have spoken about the topic of forgiveness many times and forgiving others is an essential part of growth and forward progression, but today my friends, I want to focus on the first step to forgiving others and that is forgiving the self.  Without this first and vital step of forgiveness, you cannot move forward, even when all other forms of self-mastery are applied.  This is the key to release for all forms of self-bondage and the antidote to all spirit poisons.

All of you have, at one time or another, made choices that you have regretted and perhaps hurt someone, be it friend or foe, willingly or indirectly, by your actions, or perhaps you have failed at some important task or goal and have blamed others for your failure.  Feeling down on yourself and having a hopeless outlook about the future, or continually blaming yourself for repeated failed attempts to move beyond some rut of predictable actions or vices can keep you in a state of stagnation where you cannot move forward and heal from the mistakes of the past.

Often times fear is the driving force that keeps you from seeing the open door to your freedom.  Fear of others opinions and judgments about your self-conscious imperfections or perhaps fear of ridicule for changing sides—your need to be right even when you know you are wrong about some position or action you have taken—pride.  Making right moral choices, taking responsibility for poor decisions, does not show weakness, but rather shows strength of character and is an example to those who you believe are judging you, that you are a person of integrity.

My dear friends, it is OK to have made mistakes—it is OK to have failed!  This is how you learn, but in order for you to have gained wisdom from these lessons, you must acknowledge that you have failed and made poor choices. Without acknowledgement, you are likely to repeat the same mistakes again and again leaving you in a trap that you cannot escape from.  Having examined the self, and having acknowledged the error readies the self and grants permission to forgive.

Asking for forgiveness from someone you have wronged is a part of the healing process.  If there is no chance to ask for it, then you must ask it for yourself and in witness of your Indwelling Spirit.  If you have asked for forgiveness from someone and it was rejected, that burden remains on the other party and they must do the work necessary to free themselves of the hurt.  You must let go of it and move on using the experience as a lesson for self-improvement.

Once you have learned to forgive yourself, you can move toward the next step of forgiving others for wrongs they have done to you.  You are all essentially learning, in the kindergarten of your ascendant careers, to love and be tolerant of the imperfections of others who are learning alongside you.  In the bigger picture, my friends, all these bumps, bruises, and injuries to the ego are all but scaffolding that will fall away—only the learning moments that lead to forward progression and perfection will remain and become a part of the growing soul.  Let your souls grow weighty and free yourself from self-inflected bondage—learn to forgive yourself.

Peace to you,

The Circle of Seven