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Book Review – Forgiving the Unforgivable

Book Review – Forgiving the Unforgivable

Forgiving the Unforgivable: Overcoming the Bitter Legacy of Intimate Wounds by Beverly Flanigan, M.S.S.W.

If you’ve ever been hurt by someone close to you, past or present, and need some help in dealing with it and getting to forgiveness, this book is for you. Not only does the author walk you through the journey of recognizing and acknowledging the injury, assigning responsibility, and describing the steps a person goes through along the way, but she also includes many exercises and tools to handle all of these phases.

When we’re wounded by someone close to us in a way that betrays the foundation of the relationship, then we feel like our world has been turned upside down. It forces us to re-evaluate our beliefs, and who we are. Our sense of stability and safety has been violated. To be able to heal from this, we have to examine the injury and its consequences.

As spiritual people, many of us believe that we have to take responsibility for everything that happens to us. That’s true to a certain extent. But we can’t control another person’s feelings and actions. So we need to assign responsibility to who actually, consciously and with intent, harmed us. Forgiveness doesn’t mean pardoning the other person. It’s letting go of the anger, empowering ourselves to move on, and recognizing that the wound has changed who we are. We set them free and ourselves free.

Forgiveness is a process of healing, not an eraser of hurt. This comprehensive book explains how to move through that process successfully and grow from it.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Sparks of Insight

Sparks of Insight

Sparks of Insight“Worry is a misuse of imagination.” ~ Dan Zadra

Worry is a useless waste of energy. Most of what you worry about never happens. And worry drains you of energy and resources. It keeps you from being able to build something better for yourself. The only time that worry can help is when it urges you to make arrangements and avoid the issue. Otherwise, it can actually attract difficulties. When you’re worried, imagine Universal Good in the middle of the situation. It will be the truth.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Build the Ability to Stretch Your Comfort Zone

Build the Ability to Stretch Your Comfort Zone

Staying in your comfort zone becomes a habit. It’s safe there but living in that place will eventually erode your confidence and spirit. Create the habit of stretching out of your comfort zone. Learn some small ways to expand your comfort zone and build your confidence.


~ Linda-Ann Stewart

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Trending Articles of the Week

Trending Articles of the Week

Grand Canyon Sunset - East of Yaki PointPsychologists Reveal One Of The Best Ways To Boost Your Mood
Research has found that altruism or being kind can improve your mood better than doing things for yourself. There are other benefits to these acts, as well. Read the article for a deeper understanding of how focusing beyond yourself is better for you mentally and physically.

10 Surprising Facts About Rejection
Research finds that rejection affects more than just your feelings. It also impacts your reason, intelligence, brain and more. This article has some interesting facts about how rejection and how it can be eased.

Frequent Complaining Can Badly Affect Your Brain, Here’s Why
Are you stuck in a cycle of negativity? If so, you’ve trained your brain to keep you there. But there is a way you can get out of it. This article goes into how and why you get stuck, and what to do to change it.

Sparks of Insight

Sparks of Insight

Sparks of Insight“I honor myself. I recognize when someone tries to manipulate me, and take appropriate actions to take care of my well being. My welfare is as important as anyone else’s.”

You were made by the same Creator as everyone else, therefore you are as important as anyone else on the earth. Your needs, opinions, and desires are also as important. If others try to influence you by demeaning you, they aren’t interested in whether it harms your well being. They’re interested in their own agenda. You have the right to say, “No,” and to refuse to comply. By taking care of yourself, you signal to yourself and others that you are worthy of the best Life can offer.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

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Trending Articles of the Week

Trending Articles of the Week

Sparks of InsightScience Explains How Writing Down Tiny Achievements Every Day Changes Our Brains
Recent research shows that when you feel like you make progress, then you’re more likely to be creative, productive and increase your confidence. And it’s not just progress on goals, but small events that happen every day. Discover how to become more aware of your progress and how it affects you.

What to Do When You Are Your Own Worst Critic
There is something in your human nature that makes you very self-critical of yourself. It’s one of the greatest challenges you need to overcome to be successful. This article shares three techniques to quiet your inner critic down.

Self-Criticism or Self-Compassion?
Researchers say that the inner critic doesn’t really help you and can be destructive. Neuroscientists suggest that it affects the brain in negative ways. Learn three ways to be more positive about yourself so you can increase your motivation and resilience.

Trending Articles of the Week

Trending Articles of the Week

Sunset at Hopi Point at Grand CanyonStopping ‘Should’ Shaming — Ending the Self-Imposed Guilt Game
Unless you are already aware of the damage it causes, you probably say “should” at least a few times a day. When you say this word, it indicates that you aren’t doing what you would benefit from, or you’re not committed to a decision. This brings on guilt and self-reproach, which don’t help the situation. Here are 3 steps to take to stop “shoulding” on yourself and feeling better.

Science Says Silence Is Much More Important To Our Brains Than We Think
Research is finding that silence can actually help your brain in many different ways. It can grow more brain cells and improve your memory and learning. Silence helps your brain to process and integrate information. Of course, it also relieves stress and tension. Read this article to find other ways that silence helps your brain.

10 Must Watch Ted Talks on Positive Emotions
Barbara Fredrickson, the developer of Broaden and Build Theory, introduced the idea that the more positive emotions we experience sends us into an upward spiral where happiness and well being dwell. Her research into the dynamics and benefits of positive emotions focuses primarily on the 10 most common positive emotions. This article focuses on TED talks which offer some insight into these different positive emotions.

How Can I Use Affirmations to Improve a Situation?

How Can I Use Affirmations to Improve a Situation?

Question MarkQuestion: I’ve been affirming to improve a situation, but nothing has changed. What else can I do?

Answer: Review how you’re using the affirmation. As we use affirmations, we may start repeating them by rote, without thinking about what they mean, and because we do, they lose their punch. Remember that an affirmation only changes your mind about the situation, to accept more good in that area. And they have to be said with emotion and belief that they’re actually manifesting.

If we say the affirmation, but negate it during the day, or we say it and feel that it’s not working, then the subconscious mind will manifest our accumulated feeling about the situation. So make sure that your feelings that it’s being done are in alignment with the affirmation.

Also, a problem can’t be healed from the consciousness that created it or is experiencing the problem. You need to be able to raise your awareness above or beyond the level of the challenge to imagine the solution, or at least imagine that there is a resolution available. If you’re still thinking of the problem as you say the affirmation, or feeling the tension it creates, then that will block any positive change. Affirm and think of it from the position of the answer or resolution.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

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Book Review-30-Day Mental Diet

Book Review-30-Day Mental Diet

Thirty-Day Mental Diet: The Way to a Better Life
by Willis Kinnear

It’s nice to establish a more positive mental attitude. But it’s sometimes difficult to discipline yourself to keep your thoughts on a higher plane. That’s where this book can help.

The author calls this a “mental diet” because you’re choosing what to put into your mind, just as a food diet relates to what you put into your body.

I’ve followed this “mental diet” for the prescribed time, and I found that my attitude improved, things flowed more smoothly, and I felt much more grounded spiritually. Each day builds on the information of the day before, so your spiritual understanding gets deeper as the month progresses.

Each day begins with an exploration of that day’s idea, followed by some quotes related to the topic. The diet is a meditation related to the idea, and then a short statement encapsulating the meditation. It takes less than ten minutes to read, and it is food for your soul.

This book gives you the focus you need to think more clearly about the Universe and your place in It.

Trending Articles of the Week

Trending Articles of the Week

Kendrick Mountain from Snowbowl10 Things You Need To Stop Doing If You Want To Be Successful
What does success mean to you? No matter what that is, there are going to be bumps in the road. But you have the ability to overcome them, no matter what they are. Here are a few of the most common blocks and how to handle them.

How to Plan Your Week for Maximum Impact
How can you keep your attention on the important things and avoid distractions? This article describes a handy way of doing that. It’s a technique that can keep you focused, increase your focus and decrease your stress.

30 Red Flags of Manipulative People
When you’re dealing with a toxic person, whether you’re aware of it or not, you have to recognize their behaviors. But you also have to monitor your reactions, because they’ll give you warning before you’ll consciously notice the manipulative actions of the other person. This article is geared to romantic relationships, but it also can describe acquantances and friends.