Forgiveness is the only gift I give.
In The Opposite of Namaste, Timber Hawkeye talks a bit about mindfulness.
That quiet place we go to rediscover what is authentically ours. He also discusses the struggle of maintaining mindfulness when you are in a stressful situation. Of resonating with your center, rather than looking outside of yourself for validation or truth.
He tells a story of going to a gas pump where there were long lines due to a pump outage. As he pulled up to fill his car, he looked to his right to see a man, long line behind him, talking on his phone after filling up his gas.
We’ve all probably been there right? What to do as spiritual peeps? Hawkeye wanted to knock on this guys window. To tell him how inconsiderate he was, in light of the huge line of people waiting behind him. Instead, he asked himself these four questions from Socrates:
Is what I’m about to say kind? Is it true? Is it necessary? Does it need to be said by me?
True? Yup, no doubts there. Kind? Maybe, depending on how it would be done. Necessary? To move the line, yes. Said by him? Hmmmmmm….Maybe. Maybe not.
What Hawkeye recognized was he was trying to control the situation. He didn’t know if this person was talking on the phone to his agent. Or his dying loved one in the hospital. And what was Hawkeye’s motivation? Did he really just want to move the line along? Or was his ego interested in ‘being a hero’ for the others in line?
Not knowing the purity of his intention, he simply chose to forgive. To drive along. To bless this person and whatever he was going through. Because it offered the best example of integrity for him in the moment. For him, this was salvation’s simplest formula. And furthermore, he chose to not beat himself up for any errant thoughts he had about the gentleman in the first place.
Brilliant.
I’m not saying every situation needs to be handled the same way. But I am applauding a thoughtful inquiry into motives. In making decisions based on compassion. Forgiveness. Of self and others. Using the best possible mindset motivated by compassion you can make in this very moment.
297 says this is the gift we have to give. The essential part of our God-given integrity and identity we have to share. Forgiveness. Lesson 297 reminds us this forgiveness ensures the final outcome we seek of peace, love and acceptance towards our brethren. And towards ourselves.
Namaste LightWorker.