Word of the day…
Oops, I mean: WORD OF THE LIFETIME.
Dear Ones,
A sweet reader named Jackie painted this for me, gave it to me the other night at my event in Cleveland. I love it and I will keep it always.
Readers of EAT PRAY LOVE will remember this as the last word in the book. Italian for "let's cross over" — the most elegant way I can imagine to remind myself to let it go, to put it all behind you, to face the future rather than dwelling in the past, to stand up and try again.
Another way to say it, I just realized, could be: ONWARD — my other favorite word.
Today, let's share some stories of crossing over.
I will start with one from me. Lately I've been really showing up for my work on processing forgiveness. Much of this is inspired by having met Iyanla Vanzant, whose e-course on forgiveness I've been taking all month.
I had no idea how much work I had to do on this subject, y'all. I mean, I knew I had some garbage in my heart and mind, but I hadn't realized just how MUCH resentment I was carrying around still. As I've done my work on this, I've discovered that what lurks at the very deepest bottom of all my old resentments is usually nothing but a pile of my own shame. (Shame for my own failed relationships, shame for having been stupid or a sucker, shame for my own inadequacies and mediocrity, shame for not having handled things better, shame for still holding on to ancient anger, etc.)
And instead of trying to force all of those negative feelings out of me (I've never had any luck forcing negative feelings out of me…How 'bout you?)I've been making all kinds of interior space to allow those feelings to be revealed, to give them space to breathe, to accept them as human, and to forgive myself for all my own perceived faults and shortcomings.
In other words, all my work on forgiving others has unexpectedly turned into a giant exercise of self-empathy.
Which has, by accidental extension, turned into an exercise in feeling greater empathy for everybody else, as well…stuck as we all are in these crazy-town human minds.
Which has, ultimately, led to a great and sudden diminishing of old resentments.
Which does, in fact, feel like crossing over.
So that's been nice. (TO SAY THE LEAST.) And I'm grateful. Because, like you, all I ever want is to be more free.
So what about you?
How have you been crossing over lately? Let's share some stories of liberation and its rewards.
And, of course, ATTRAVERSIAMO!
LG
