Noah napping on our porch yesterday afternoon
Before I fell asleep last night, I was thinking about the incredible healing power that is released when we bless difficult situations, and got up this morning to read Maria Wulf’s* beautiful blog on that very thing! A couple of months ago, a woman who I used to know, came into my mind. Several years ago, she’d been upset with me because she felt I dismissed her. I tried at the time to explain, but she just couldn’t accept that, and we drifted apart.
The morning that I thought about her, I said out loud, “I bless……..and release her.” This is one of my favorite prayers. I try to do it whenever I am conscious that the memory, I am about to re-live in my mind, is not a good one. What I know is that the bonds of Love are never broken, and this is my way of releasing all of the other negative connections, hurt feelings, and resentments that are sort of stuck around that person/place or memory. Within a minute of saying this, my cell phone rang. I couldn’t answer it because I was driving but when I got to my office, I checked the message and it was the very woman who I had “blessed”, saying that she missed me.
“The key factor (in blessing) is the intention. Slowly, the blessings moves from being an act of the will to an act of the heart–because the act of blessing comes essentially from the heart.” PP 5 The Gentle Art of Blessing, Pierre Pradervand (this is a wonderful book)
* http://www.fullmoonfiberart.com
Another wonderful post, Mary, from your lessons on “How To Live An Authentic, Kind Life.”
I needed this very lesson today in a situation I’m dealing with involving a neighbor and her subtle mis-treatment of her Golden Retriever. I have been trying to stifle my anger at her, and this is how I shall do it.
Thank you for your word to all of us. You start my day the way it should be started.
I’ll be saying prayers for this too Suzanne…it can be so difficult to “think loving thoughts” when someone is cruel and yet, the negative thoughts that we think only add to the dense, negative energy even making the situation more negative….I’m sure that there will be many readers holding this dog in their loving thoughts and I know that I’ll be holding the owner too..
Blessings to you and your mission, Suzanne. You have written about this neighbor/dog journey a few times; I applaud your willingness to step forward to make a difference. You, dog, and neighbor will be in my thoughts for an easy, happy outcome.
Suzanne, you got all the dog lovers in your corner! She is a lucky Golden to be the recipient of your big and generous heart. Every pat you give her sinks in double I bet, for a lil’ love goes a long way! Blessings.
Thanks to all for your expressed prayers and blessings for this sweet doggy. I’m hoping that all this good energy will work a miracle and my neighbor will allow me to find Poot a good home.
Suzanne, I too am sending blessings to you and Poot and the neighbor. May this resolve for the greater good of all.
Good morning mary. how appropriate this message is for me this morning. After many months of my daughter and son-in-law hoping and working on starting a family, and many prayers of blessing and support for them, i handed it off to God. I told my daughter science and technology is amazing yes but in the end we all know who is in charge. They just told us the other day….not only have they been blessed with a child but there’s TWO babies!! Double blessed indeed!
How wonderful Carolyn! Twins…this is a cause for celebration!
Congratulations, Carolyn! As the aunt of in-vitro twins (now healthy, bright, busy, and five years old) here’s wishing you double happiness for many years to come.
Thank you Kelly and mary. very exciting for sure!
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read the topic of your blog this morning Mary! My cousin and I had just been talking about this very topic (which I had learned from you!) and each of us had recently blessed and released a person or memory that was causing low energy feelings for us. I love what you said about the bonds of Love are never broken, and blessing can release all of the negative ‘stuff’ stuck around that person. For me, blessing and releasing definitely unclogs the low energy and makes room for the good that the universe has in store for us…it allows the light back in for me…thank you so much! Much love…
I loved the way you put this Kathye, “blessing and releasing definitely unclogs the low energy…” time to flow freely with Life…thank you!
Thank you, Mary. Going to give this a try. Hope others will do unto me as I will be attempting to do unto them. Pretty sure there are as many people out there looking to “release” me as I am them!
I am sure that is true for all of us Jill…thanks for the little smile!
Thank you, Maria. I am trying this today with a neighbor that so ruffles my feathers thatvi feel myself filling with unkind feelings whenever I am around her or even read emails from her! There is no one else that makes me feel this way and it is so upsetting to me! I even felt like punching her once!! I am a gentle person, really!! I know it doesn’t sound like it! She illicits such profound anger and disdain that I often find myself shaking after being in her presence. She is toxic. She stirs up everything that is bad in me. I am forced to be around her because we are board members together, otherwise, I would steer clear of her! I will try this and let you know. Big breath……..big sigh…….thank you:)
Thank you, Mary. I found this to be extremely helpful with regard to a very difficult aunt that I was responsible for, as the closest lliving relative. I was filled with resentment, even after her death (lots of legal problems remained) and I was also struck with how I could have handled her and the circumstances differently. The blessing (or handing it over, so to speak, to let go of the resentment and the revisiting) took me out of the vicious loop of blaming her and of self-blame. It’s funny but I started to describe her here, but then realized that I didn’t need to, that I had let go and it didn’t matter.
Thanks, Mary! This and the “Roadblock Prayer” are my two go-to tools because of you. What a difference they (and you) make!
To Jill’s point: am officially spending today blessing all those who want to “bless and release” me. Suspect they could form their own baseball team….
Mary, it’s like trying to pray, how do I know that I’m really sincere or just mouthing words? I’m never sure about these things. I can be sincere about what I pray for but what I pray for may not be sincere enough…. are you confused by now as I am??..
Sandy P in Canada
SandyP, I’m always confused (or bemused) by those who say “I forgive” and then go on to emphasize “but I’ll NEVER forget!!!!!”
What I have felt, and also believe to be true, is that when I set my intention to forgive someone (or pray for a person that I don’t feel good about), I am asking my Higher Self; the part of me that is always connected to the field of Good, to assist me in my intention. This is where I feel Grace come in with the power to move situations, people and circumstances in amazing ways…then I see my part as getting out of the way and letting my more positive side work (and I do this by trying to keep from talking about the situation or thinking about it in negative ways) and by saying affirmations like, “thank you that this situation is resolving itself so beautifully and perfectly. All is well” or similar words.
Soooo very helpful, Mary! Thank you! XOXO
A day later and an overnight with my son and family, over a cup of tea early this morning before leaving in speaking with my son, who amazes me at how much common sense he has that I wonder I raised him…the thorny subject of a family member came up and I realized how much less anger I felt and how much more understanding he was able to bring to the issue. I simply had not thought about prayer or as I call it, talking to my higher power, might have and I’ll address the posting for June 19 because it relates to what has been said here.
SandyP in Canada
Sandy, I really hear you – when we say something, and hope to be setting an intention, and we say it again and again, does that make it more sincere? After all, we have to set something in motion with a thought (my yoga teacher says simply, “Action follows thought”) – so we have to start somewhere, right? Maybe the repetition of our thoughts, prayers or intentions are what slowly become affirmations that become more real to us, more a part of the fabric of our thought and belief system, – who we are. Not that we weren’t sincere to begin with, but intentions and prayer set in motion, and reaffirmed are what come to really, truly, be. Does this make any sense? I had an incident over the weekend that disturbed me very much, witnessing someone say to a child, “Are you stupid?” instead of taking the time to instruct the child what went wrong. I was in the delicate position of not being able to say anything in the presence of the child, as it would have made for an uncomfortable confrontational moment with others gathered at the table. I’ve tried all morning to say the bless and release to myself, not to harbor anger towards this person, but it is hard. Bless this person, surely, but it is harder to release those hurtful words like a balloon into the air, without having any sort of resolution. Any thoughts, flock? Thank you.
My sticking point, as well, Susan (and Sandy). I have such a hard time disconnecting from the hurt/anger/resentment. Sometimes, I force my mind to shut of the feelings for just a second, just to see what it would feel like to NOT be burdened with them. I then try to recapture that feeling whenever the feelings begin again. Sometimes I can let it go and sometimes I can’t. Emotions stick to you like super-glue.
yes indeed this sounds like a tough one Susan! another way to “pray” is to imagine the situation like you would have wanted it to play out….the person saying to the child, “You are briliant!” or similar words, and to replay this scene over and over until it becomes more real than the hurtful one. Neville Goddard calls this “revision” and it is a mighty spiritual tool, sending out new ripples of good instead of harm.
Mary, thank you so much for this wonderful post. Just so timely for me as for others here. I sometimes feel overwhelmed with what I read here and just have to soak it all in for a bit. I will bless and release…I will bless and release…
They say there are no coincidences. So will you return that phone call Mary? Even with the past issues? Would it be healthy to re-hash the past with her, if she starts? Do you want to resume a relationship with her? Your thoughts here would help me with an issue I currently have. I just feel it’s time to enjoy my life. I don’t want high-maintenance relationships. Is this selfish?
Cindy
It certainly isn’t selfish to want harmonious relationships…I try not to set hard and fast rules about re-connecting with anyone…when I change, everyone around me responds to that, …some leave, and other relationships get stronger, but it is my intention to always get better and go forward, and anyone who has that same intention is welcome in my life (hope this helps)
To Sally Brechbill…..
Thank you for your very perfect wording….’the greater good of all.’ That’s all I can ask for, as much as I want to go in there and resolve it MY way.
Thank-you Mary for your help. I think I can be very black or white at times. I appreciate your time and support! Cindy
Something must have been in the air yesterday….I also did the same….I was having to deal with a ‘situation’ with a great deal of stress around it and just before I had to speak with the person, I said a small prayer: “Let me handle this with love, then let it go.”