You’ve heard the old saying, “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.”
I’ve been thinking about my last post. The reason I hold doubts toward giveaways, is that from my experience, I’ve rarely gained any true value from freebies. If you give me a free ebook about how to succeed at one thing or another, but it only touches the surface, I will not gain the skills I need to succeed. But if you teach me something, a truly valuable skill that I can use, you have given me a gift.
One goal of danerickson.net is to inspire people to use the intentional act of writing as a therapeutic tool; especially in the area of forgiveness. I can’t offer you a free ebook on how to forgive. That’s a personal journey. I don’t want to give you something for free. I want to help you learn how to set yourself free; free from anger, free from hate, free from emotional pain. I had what many would consider a terrible experience as a child. I was the victim of a cult. I’ve turned that experience into a learning opportunity. I’ve gone from being a victim to being in command of my life, including my actions and emotions. It all started with the little seed of forgiveness, a concept I learned from the Bible. I’ve learned that through forgiveness you have everything to gain and nothing to lose. I’ve learned that forgiveness… truly is free. There are no strings attached. But you must take action.
1. Purge: Get it out. Yell, scream, hit a pillow. It’s okay. Personally, I’ve found writing to be the most effective therapeutic method.
2. Let go: No matter what someone else has done to you, remaining angry won’t change it. Anger hurts you, not the other. Let it go. You’ll find peace and freedom.
3. Practice. It might sound funny, but forgiveness takes practice. In other words, it’s not a one-time event. It’s something you have to repeat regularly.
4. Forgive yourself: Often, when we hold resentment and anger toward another, we are actually angry with ourselves. Is there something in your own life that keeps you down? Be willing to forgive yourself for your own mistakes.
5. Be forgiven: Know that you are forgiven. If you have asked for forgiveness, you are heard. God hears you. He feels your hurt. He feels your pain. If you sincerely ask for his forgiveness. You are forgiven.
My goal isn’t to sell you anything. My goal is to spread the word about the power of forgiveness. I have written a book about my own struggle with anger and resentment. In a fictional format, the book follows Andy Burden, a 27-year-old man, as he deals with his own anger and resentment and comes to terms with his abusive childhood.
A Train Called Forgiveness is a book that would be helpful for anyone dealing with the pain of an abusive event in their life. It’s also an eye-opening read for anyone who wants to understand the inner-workings and detrimental effects of cults. A Train Called Forgiveness is available at Amazon and Ibis Books for $14.00.
Whether you buy the book or not, I hope you will choose the path of forgiveness. If you do, you’ll find freedom and peace.
