Jesus Said To Forgive... Because He Said So

 Why We Sometimes Resist Forgiveness

When you were younger, your mother told you to clean up your room. Maybe you didn’t really see the purpose in having a clean room. Maybe toys and clothes strung all over the floor suited you just fine. But... Mother said so. She told you to clean it up. Period. And if you questioned her, she might have even said, “Because I say so.”

Photo by Vije Vijendranath on Unsplash

Now, all these years later, you might just realize that she was right all along. Having a clean room actually makes life so much better. It’s easier to find things, it’s more peaceful, and it just feels better to be in a space that’s tidy. Mother knew best.

Just like Mother, Jesus always knows best. When He tells you to forgive, you do it. Not because you understand the full reason right away, but because Jesus said so.

Forgiveness may not always make sense in the moment. It may feel difficult or unfair, especially when someone has wronged you. But just like cleaning your room, forgiveness has a purpose. It clears the clutter from your heart, making space for peace, joy, and love to flow. It sets you free.

Jesus’ Command to Forgive

Jesus didn’t just suggest forgiveness; He commanded it. In the Gospels, He says, “Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). A Course in Miracles echoes this: “You who have sought release in many ways must now accept the one true means of release, which is forgiveness."— A Course in Miracles, T-9.VII.3:6

Forgiveness Makes Life Better

When Jesus tells us something is crucially important, we trust that He knows best. And just like a clean room, forgiveness ultimately makes our lives better. So, the next time forgiveness feels hard, remember: Jesus said to do it. And like Mother’s wisdom, it’s for your own good.

Want to go deeper into forgiveness?

• Explore how forgiveness reconnects us to divine compassion in Unblocking our Connection to Love.
• My book, Forgiveness is the Key to Happiness, offers heartfelt guidance, spiritual tools, and real-life practices. Read it on Amazon →
• Let daily affirmations support you too — discover the Forgiveness Metta Card Deck for a gentle morning practice of peace and release. View the deck on Etsy → https://www.etsy.com/listing/4350470896/metta-prayer-forgiveness-affirmation
  
• Want to receive free weekly forgiveness coaching emails? Sign up and get insights, tools, and inspiration to deepen your practice of forgiveness. Sign up here →
  
• New: Explore the Forgive and Be Happy Etsy Shop for more inspiration and products: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ForgiveAndBeHappy                       

Let these tools light your path — because forgiveness sets you free.

— Sue Pipal

How to Forgive Cruel World Leaders (Even When It’s Hard)

Cruel world leaders?  It's not anything new.  Throughout history mankind has been led by self-serving, power hungry world leaders who have put their desires above the needs of those they lead.  Wars, poverty, and suffering in many forms are created by singular individuals or small groups who have used their power for their own selfish gains.  

Today not much has changed.  People continue to suffer in many places due to narcissistic leaders who start wars, oppress others or simply deny their people basic rights... all for the gain of power, land, resources or money.  

Why Forgiving Leaders Is So Hard — and So Necessary

From a spiritual perspective, how are we meant to respond?  On the one hand we see the suffering they create.  On the other hand, we know that we must forgive them.  Yes--it's a hard assignment, sometimes distasteful, perhaps one of the most difficult we will be given in life.  But we need to tackle it, so let's go.  

A Spiritual Perspective on Global Suffering

First, let’s zoom out and simply accept, as A Course in Miracles teaches, that we never truly know what anything is for here.  As souls, do we finally collectively evolve when we look upon all the horrible suffering in the world and choose love?  Could it be possible that suffering exists as a catalyst to help the people of the world to join together to create a better world and choose love, sharing, service and oneness finally and forever over fear, hatred and self service? Maybe, just maybe, these challenging world leaders exist to help us evolve.  They provide the contrast as what we don't want from which we can choose anew.  We might see them as great learning tools for society as a whole.  

Second, we need to know deep in our hearts that every one of us, no matter how seemingly difficult, ugly or bullying is actually part of the great oneness.  We are all sourced from God.  We are all joined together as one and all minds are connected.  It's true that when we come here to this crazy confusing planet many of us forget who we are, get lost in the madness and behave badly.  But that behavior does not change who we really are, our true identity as a Child of God.  It just means that we are temporarily not aware of who we are.

Remember the words of Jesus on the cross, "Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do".  This is an important key to forgiveness, knowing that ultimately people might do better if they knew better.  

It's Okay to Feel the Pain

So here's how I forgive world leaders.  Often, I'll catch a headline on my ipad or I'll hear a story on NPR as I'm driving around in my car.  First, I stop and feel my feelings.  It's okay to acknowledge the pain.  For me, lately, its often specifically grief and sadness that I feel over the suffering today in places like the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, the hunger in Africa, the displacement of people such as in Myanmar, the denial of women's rights in Iran and Afghanistan and so many other places and issues.  (And of course, the painful schism right here at home in the US!)

Notice When You Judge  

I may also notice myself judging and condemning various people or groups.  Perhaps I might think something like, "I can't believe _______ is doing such a cruel thing.  He is a selfish bully who is only out for himself and is completely blinded about how his decisions affect others in the world."  

All right.  Take a beat.  

It's time to just notice that I am judging.  No need for me to criticize or scold myself for this.  I just notice and maybe take a breath or two to get myself back into my heart space.  And, by the way, I must be sure not to get so activated that I go into victim mode along with those harmed by these leaders.  I need to dig deep to control my thoughts and immediately stop all that negative jabber thinking in my brain right here.  I ban thoughts like, "That's so unfair.  He's a hideous man.  I hate him."  I use my breath to get myself into a calmer space of neutrality where I can do the important forgiveness work I need to do. 

A Forgiveness Prayer for World Leaders

After I allow myself a moment to acknowledge my feelings followed by a little breathing and mind calming,  I'll start to think or say something like:

 "World leader or power group (fill in any appropriate name) _______________, You are Spirit, whole and innocent.  I forgive you.  I release you.  I bless you with love."  

I might repeat or chant this for awhile until I feel a release in my heart.  

Then I simply go on with my day until the next time something happens and I feel activated again. I might have to repeat this little forgiveness trick every time I hear the news about this particular leader or part of the world.  That's okay.  I just keep noticing my feelings and working on my forgiveness.  If it's a daily thing or even something I need to do many times a day, that's just fine.  I just keep forgiving and converting my fearful, judgmental, angry, sad thoughts into forgiveness and love.  That's my job in all this.  It's the way I can be the most helpful to the world.  And it's your job too.  It's your mission, should you decide to accept it.  

Sometimes, that little short saying just isn't enough to clear through the anguish I feel at what is happening in the world.  In that case I pull out my big forgiveness prayer.  It always does the job for me although sometimes I have to do it two or three times to obtain peace. Here it is:  

"World Leader_____________, You are Spirit, whole and innocent.  I forgive you, I release you, I bless you with love. You are a child of God, perfect, whole and complete.  God created you exactly in his own image.  You are pure Love, you are pure Joy, you are perfect Peace.  God loves you infinitely.  You are God's beloved only Son.  I forgive you. I release you.  I bless you with love."

Blessed relief.  That feels better!

What About Their Supporters?

But wait, there's more...what do I do about supporters of selfish World Leaders?  Some of these leaders have actually been voted into power!  We forgive their supporters, too, of course, even if we can't relate at all to their opinions and choices.  Remember that God gave us all the gift of free will.  Free will is a law of the universe.  It seems that it was important to Him that we all be given the chance to choose how we perceive the world to be.  Everybody gets to choose their own favorite ride in this crazy Disneyland world.  Accept that.  Get over it.  Let them be.  Stop judging.  And go ahead and use one of the forgiveness practices above to forgive them.  

Best of all, you'll feel better when you do.  

Why Forgiveness Helps You

Remember that forgiveness releases you, too.  It's actually a gift you give to yourself.  Another law of the Universe--you get what you give.  When you forgive and offer love, what comes back to you is peace.  

Want to go Deeper into Forgiveness?

• Read this posting that explains more on why forgiveness is our best pathway to peace and happiness:  Unblocking our Connection to Love.  
• My book, “Forgive and Be Happy,” offers gentle guidance, spiritual reflections, and real-world practices to help you heal, release, and return to peace.
  Explore the book on Amazon →, Forgiveness is the Key to Happiness .  
• Make forgiveness a daily practice. Let the Forgiveness Metta Cards guide you each morning with affirmations and soul-soothing reminders to help you release and bless. A beautiful companion to your journal or meditation time.  Take a look on Etsy →

Let these tools support your journey — because forgiveness sets you free.

--Sue Pipal

It's Simple...We're all the Same

I woke up thinking about the Middle East this morning.  I'd just love to throw a big blanket over Syria and Iraq.  "Sleep, everyone, just sleep", I'd whisper into the blanket.  "Calm down, sleep and find some quiet."  

When everyone is finally sleeping peacefully, I'd continue my whispering.  This is what I'd say:

We're all the same.  

The Divine created each and every one of us in exactly the same way.

He made us all out of the same substance.

He made us all exactly in his own image.  We are just like him.  Every single one of us.

We are love.  That is what he is.  That is what we are.

He love us infinitely.  Yes, each and every one of us is loved infinitely by the Divine himself.

And the Divine gave us each a function.  That function is love.   

We have a job to do, an assignment, a purpose.  Love is why we exist.  

Exercise that love.  Put it into action.  Fulfill your purpose.  

Be who you were created to be.

Forgive.  Accept.  Love. 

It really is all just this simple.  We're all the same. 

Live in peace.  Nothing is more important than this.  Nothing.  

"Forgive the World" -- What Does it Mean?

Forgiving the world...it seems like a daunting task.  There's a lot of pain out there.  In fact, there's a lot of suffering close-by.  Where do we even start?

When it comes to forgiving the world, we need to look at how forgiving plays out in both our immediate world and the greater world at large.

Forgiving in Our Own Backyard   In our immediate world, we can forgive the things that come up on an every day basis.  Whenever we feel frustrated, angry or hurt by the people or events that surround us, we need to do a little forgiveness work.  This can be done right on the spot, or it can be saved for a quiet moment later.  I like to review my day each night in bed and forgive anything disturbing that happened.

Global Forgiveness   Forgiving the world at large is a different kind of forgiveness.  It means releasing attachment.  It means that we watch what is happening in Israel, in the Ukraine, in Syria or wherever, from arms length, yet with an understanding that suffering  is occurring.  As we observe, we do not allow our thoughts to mentally sink down with fear and angst for the events that we see.

Just as we forgive the bullies in our immediate world, we also need to forgive the bullies of the world at large. And this we can add to our nightly forgiveness work.

Mind Work   However, when we think about the victims, we must not become upset and focused on the unfairness of it all.  Thoughts are creative and this kind of thinking holds the victims down.  If we want their lives to improve, we need to see them in their strength and truth.  We must hold the mental high ground with images of their higher source and true potential.  (Of course, this doesn't mean that we refrain from providing the help needed.  If there is something we can do, whatever it is, we can feel free to contribute.)

Remember that forgiveness happens on the mental plane.   We must hold a vision that helps the victims and sufferers to rise up.  It is our job to find the vision for peace.  It is our job to forgive and to see love as a real possibility.

World Peace Starts at Home, Inside   Of course, our biggest contribution to the healing of the world is the work we do on our very own minds.  We must release our habits of judging others.  If we want to heal the world, we must heal our own thinking first.  When our minds become a place of peace, the world will reflect that.  When we stop the attack thoughts that frequent our minds, when our minds become gentle, the world will too.

Remember that all minds are joined.  We can lift others up.  By filling our minds with love, we are showing others the pathway to peace.   And loving thoughts have so much more power than fearful thoughts.  It starts right here, right now, with us.  Each of us has the opportunity to contribute to the forgiving and healing of the world.

May All Beings Be Happy

I've noticed that this past week there have lots of readers from the Ukraine coming to this site.  I'm glad to know that there are people in the Ukraine that are searching for ways to deal with what has happened with forgiveness.  I also want any Ukrainian readers to know that there are people all over the world that support you and are praying for your well being.

When life shattering events occur, there is certainly much deep forgiveness work that can be done.  There are ideas in my book and throughout this site that may help with that.  However, in this posting I want to offer again a process, a Buddhist Metta prayer, that can easily and immediately help everyone get on the pathway to forgiveness around this issue.

Whenever we "flip the switch" in our minds from fear to love, we are beginning to forgive.  A Course in Miracles defines a miracle as "a shift in perception that takes place within the mind".  This little Metta prayer is truly a miracle-maker because in a matter of moments it takes you to love.

The prayer was written by Lama Surya Das and can be found in his book "Awakening the Budda Within".   There are many metta prayers and all have similar intentions.  However, the language in this one is particularly beautiful and seems to speak to everyone who reads it.

Here's what you do.  Get a picture in your mind of anyone involved in the recent events in Ukraine, the protagonists, the victims, the villains and the innocent by-standers.  You are going to say this prayer for each and every one of them. Say the prayer as sincerely as you can and really direct the words out to the individuals or groups whom you wish to receive its benefits.  If you need to, you can repeat it several times, once for people you feel angry with, another for victims, another for the people you are simply worried about, etc.

May all beings be happy, content and fulfilled.

May all beings be healed and whole.

May all beings have whatever they want and need.

May all beings be protected from harm, and free from fear.  

May all beings enjoy inner peace and ease.

May all beings be awakened, liberated, and free.

May there be peace in this world and throughout the entire universe.  

(You can insert someone's name instead of using the words "all beings" if you have a particular person or group of people in mind.  By the way, this prayer is so powerful, it will absolutely change your life if you use it every day.  My advice would be to print it out in a word document, perhaps add a beautiful picture to it like the heart world below and take it to your local office store to have them laminate it for you.  Then use it first thing in the morning.)

I would like to encourage all readers of this posting to say this prayer for the Ukraine and sincerely wish that everyone involved will be lifted up, be safe and will find a way to heal and to bring more love into their lives. 

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As a next step in forgiveness, I would suggest a guided meditation process that you can download for $2.99 called "Forgive the World Now".  It only takes 17 minutes to do and it will take you to a place where you will be able to see all this from a different perspective.  

And finally, here is a link to an article I like titled, "The Path to World Peace Starts Within" from The Power of Oneness.  A few excerpts:

"The condition of our physical world is a giant mirror reflecting back to us the collective thoughts of every person who is part of our earth family.  since thought is creative, whatever we focus on expands.  Therefore, what we are seeing is an indication that part of our human society is predominately focused on judgement, violence, greed and crime.  

We can point a finger of blame wherever and to whomever we want, but it does not change the truth that each of us has played a part in creating the condition of the world in which we live.  

We can only change the quality of our collective personal reality by taking personal responsibility for the part we have each played in creating it.  Since all change begins at the level of self, when we change our individual lives, the world around us changes as well. 

Get on the Forgiveness Gravy Train

Forgiveness changes your life.  If you want to stop living a nightmare and move your life into the "happy dream" life the Course of Miracles promises, only forgiveness can get you there. 

Some ways a steady habit of forgiveness will change your life:

Your life begins to feel lighter, easier, more pleasurable.  This brings you happiness.

The people you've forgiven change and actually become less annoying.  The more you forgive them, the more they change.  This brings you peace.

Life eases up.  Nightmarish things occur less often or not at all.  This brings you security. 

You begin to feel powerful in the role you play in healing the world around you. This brings you joy.

As your forgiveness work accumulates, you find that you are actually forgiving yourself on a deep subconscious level.  You allow yourself to accept God's gifts because you actually believe you deserve them now.  This brings you abundance.

The more you forgive yourself, the more you see the false self and the false world you've created.  This brings you truth. 

As you  begin to see your false self you begin to really see the insane lies you've been telling yourself and the insane things you've been doing, and you develop humility.  This brings you dignity.

Life slows down.  You take more time with what's important.  You know the difference between crazy ego schemes and the simple truth of God's love. You see the "real world" all around you.  This brings you beauty. 

You see your brother in every person you encounter.  This brings you love. 

Forgiveness will bring you everything you truly want!

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Forgiveness is Easier Than You Think

Yes, it actually is easy, once you get the hang of it.  In fact, it's not only easy, it's pleasurable!

However, easy forgiveness requires a shift in the way we view the world.  We have to stop thinking about the world from the same perspective we've seen it from all of our lives.  We have to let go of a world where "me" and "them" are two different things. 

In order to forgive easily, we need to see the world as a place where we are split off from our normal home in the Oneness of God.  We are here to learn some lessons and purify, but our real home is with God.  In our real home, we all live in perfect bliss, forever. 

When we come here to earth, it's set up so that we forget everything about our true reality.  Then we start to get all caught up in the illusions that make up our lives on earth.  We start to want things.  First we want toys and playmates, but later we want houses and cars and relationships.  We might want success, fame, power or glory.  Wanting these things can set us at odds with other people.  Often, one person wrestles these things away from someone else.  One of us wins, and one of us loses. 

When we lose, we can feel hurt, angry or fearful.  When we win, we feel guilty, although some of us are not aware of this in our every day consciousness.  Rest assured, however, that whenever we win at the expense of someone else, we create guilt deep in our sub-consciousness. We all have mountains of this guilt hidden deep in our minds and it is the source of our real anxiety, worry and fear.

In reality, we're all the same, each of us created exactly in God's image and loved infinitely by him.  God wants us to know this about each other.  The way we do this is through our forgiveness.

When we forgive, we drop our earthly view of the person we are forgiving and we see their higher truth.  We know them as God's beloved son.  We recognize that if God loves them unconditionally, then they are truly worthy of our love, too.

Of course, in the beginning, this is not always easy.  It takes practice to get good at this.  What happens, however, as we start to forgive others, is that we find that we feel so much better afterward.  Over time, we realize that we can feel better NOW, if we will only let it go, shift our perspective and see the higher truth of our trespasser.

Another benefit of forgiveness is that as we begin to forgive the people and the world around us, that horrible guilt that has been building up in our sub-consciousness is dissipated.  Over time, through our weeks, months and years of forgiveness, a significant release of this guilt occurs and we find our lives become peaceful and happy, even blissful. 

If you are just starting out with forgiveness, try this beautiful forgiveness process from Lesson 68 in the Workbook from A Course of Miracles.

As a beginner, I would recommend that you not start out with the most difficult forgiveness task in your life.  Rather, select the people who are only mildly annoying you, people who are not wreaking major damage to your life. Let's go for success and ease this first time out of the box!

"Think of the minor grievances you hold against those you like and even those you love.  It will quickly become apparent that there is no one against whom you do not cherish grievances of some sort.  This has left you alone in all the universe in your perception of yourself. 
 
Determine now to see all these people as friends.  Say to them all, thinking of each one in turn as you do so:

 

I would see you as my friend, that I may remember you are part of me and come to know myself. 

 

Think of yourself as completely at peace with everyone and everything, safe in a world that protects you and loves you, and that you love in return.  Try to feel safety surrounding you, hovering over you and holding you up.  Try to believe, that nothing can harm you in any way.  Tell yourself: 

 

Love holds no grievances.  When I let all my grievances go I will know I am perfectly safe." 

What about the people who do real damage to our lives...how do we forgive them? Obviously, serious injuries require serious forgiveness work. In my book, "Forgiveness is the Key to Happiness", there are many forgiveness processes explained. There is a process that works on any problem in your life. Rest assured, however, that even serious forgiveness work can become easy and pleasurable. And the rewards of living a steady forgiveness habit are simply too fabulous to pass up!

 

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My Table is Set and Ready

Come join me at my table.  This is a table of gratitude for all that God makes ours.  We give thanks that God loves us infinitely. We give thanks for the beauty and abundance we experience in this world. Thank you God for the love that surrounds us and the joy and peace that is ours whenever we choose to join with you. 

As an expression of our thankfulness, we in turn, love our brothers.  We release all judgments and we accept everything in this world.  All is forgiven.  We choose to live in love.  And on this day of gratitude we say our Thanksgivings!

Are You are Holding Yourself Back?

Why Forgive?

You may be wondering why forgiveness is so important.  Well, here are two very big reasons why you are holding yourself back whenever you do not forgve. 

1)  You are holding yourself back from going home to God.  Our goal is to be more like God so that we can go home and be with him.  Until we become more like him we are destined to remain in  this "dream world" of  suffering and fear. 

God does not judge.  He only sees our true and perfect selves.  In A Course in Miracles, we are asked to give up all forms of judgment and to accept and forgive everything in our lives.
 
"It is necessary for the teacher of God to realize, not that he should not judge, but that he cannot." --A Course in Miracles, Manual for Teachers 10, 2, 1



"God's Son is guiltless, and sin does not exist."--A Course in Miracles, Manual for Teachers 10, 2,9

2)  You are holding yourself back from knowing peace while you are here.  Relinquishing judgments by accepting and forgiving this world is the only path to inner peace.

"God's word has promised that peace is possible here, and what He promises can hardly be impossible. But it is true that the world must be looked at differently, if His promises are to be accepted."  A Course in Miracles, Manual for Teachers 11, 1, 7

We look at the world differently by seeing through the eyes of forgiveness. We drop all judgments.  We know that every person here is a brother, even if sometimes they have forgotten this themselves and behave badly in ignorance.   We must know their real identity for them.   We accept with grace the events of this world and trust that they are happening here for us as a means where we can grow and purify by accepting and forgiving.  When we accept everything that happens to us, we are creating peace in our minds. 

"How is peace possible in this world?  In your judgment it is not possible, and can never be possible. But in the Judgment of God what is reflected here is only peace."--A Course in Miracles, Manual for Teachers 11, 3, 7-9  

Start a forgiveness habit today and move your life in the direction of happiness!  It doesn't happen overnight, but with diligent practice your life will change in ways that astonish you. 

"Forgiveness is the Key to Happiness" is available in both paperback and hardcover at:

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A Simple Forgiveness Practice for Everyday Annoyances

A Simple Practice for Small Forgiveness Challenges

Here’s a quick little forgiveness practice that works for most smaller forgiveness challenges. I use this if someone I know well and really love is annoying me momentarily. I also use it on people I barely know—or don’t know at all—when they are annoying me just a little bit.

I forgive you,

I release you,

I bless you with love.

 

How to Use This Forgiveness Prayer

Repeat this over and over, truly feeling yourself blessing and loving the person you are forgiving. It won’t work if you repeat these as empty words. You’ve got to really send the love. 

Feel the Release and Bless with Love

When you feel the charge of annoyance, angry emotion, or hurt dissipate, you are finished!

 

 

Want to go deeper into forgiveness?

• Explore how forgiveness reconnects us to divine compassion in Unblocking our Connection to Love. Read it here →
• My book, Forgiveness is the Key to Happiness, offers heartfelt guidance, spiritual tools, and real-life practices. Read it on Amazon →
• Let daily affirmations support you too — discover the Forgiveness Metta Card Deck for a gentle morning practice of peace and release. View the deck on Etsy →
• Want to receive free weekly forgiveness coaching emails? Sign up and get insights, tools, and inspiration to deepen your practice of forgiveness. Sign up here →

Let these tools light your path — because forgiveness sets you free.

— Sue Pipal 

 

 

 

 

Forgiveness Removes Guilt

Forgiveness Removes Guilt

I encourage everyone I know to start a daily forgiveness practice. Why? Because when we develop the habit of daily forgiveness, over time our guilt will be removed.

We all carry huge storehouses of unresolved guilt lurking in our subconscious minds. We feel guilty for every lie we've ever told, every unkind thought we've ever had, every person we've ever judged, or rule we've ever broken. We believe we have sinned.

 

The Mother-Lode of Guilt

Over the years, this guilt builds up. However, it pales in comparison to the mother-lode of guilt we create every moment we live apart from God. Living as individuals in our egos and choosing to ignore our true identity and oneness as God’s Son* leaves us with an iceberg of guilt beneath the surface of our conscious minds. Only forgiveness can heal this deep guilt.

Guilt Blocks Our True Inheritance

Without forgiveness, we believe we are unworthy. Guilt blocks our ability to experience the true gifts which are our inheritance from God. These gifts include peace, love, happiness, knowledge, beauty, and abundance.

The Key to Happiness

Here is the key to happiness: do your forgiveness work, and you will be able to live in God’s gifts. Forgive and release guilt, and you will begin to believe yourself worthy of accepting everything that God has to offer.

*Son--The word Son in A Course of Miracles, refers to the collective Sonship, of which we are all a part, having been created by God.  We are all his perfect Son, the Christ.

Want to go deeper into forgiveness?

• Explore how forgiveness reconnects us to divine compassion in Unblocking our Connection to Love. Read it here →
• My book, Forgiveness is the Key to Happiness, offers heartfelt guidance, spiritual tools, and real-life practices. Read it on Amazon →
• Let daily affirmations support you too — discover the Forgiveness Metta Card Deck for a gentle morning practice of peace and release. View the deck on Etsy →
• Want to receive free weekly forgiveness coaching emails? Sign up and get insights, tools, and inspiration to deepen your practice of forgiveness. Sign up here →

Let these tools light your path — because forgiveness sets you free.
— Sue Pipal

How Bob Newhart’s ‘Stop It’ Sketch Teaches Us to Let Go of Judgment

Bob Newhart’s Timeless Wisdom on Judgment

I recently attended a seminar in which Jon Mundy spoke. He mentioned how he is often asked about judgment—how to stop judging others. He reminded me of an old Bob Newhart episode that really puts things into perspective.

Just Stop It! The Power of Simple Advice

In the episode, Newhart’s character, a therapist, tells his patient simply: "Stop it. Just stop it!" It’s hilarious, but also profoundly simple advice that highlights how we often make our judgments more complicated than they need to be. The solution is as simple as Newhart’s character suggests: stop it. Stop the judging and choose to live in peace instead.

A Personal Connection to Bob Newhart

For me, this brought to mind not only the wisdom of Newhart's sketch but also my own personal connection to him. I have always loved Bob Newhart and watched many of his shows in reruns. Interestingly, my sister's first husband's father was the producer for Newhart's show. Bob Newhart’s mild manner always reminded me so much of my own dad, and I could sense his gentle, calm energy, even on-screen.

A Humbling Moment with Bob Newhart

One day, when I was in my early 20s, I was waiting at a stop signal on Hilgard Ave, adjacent to the UCLA campus. As I glanced over at the car idling next to me, I was delighted to see that it was none other than Bob Newhart! He had a small child (probably a granddaughter) in the seat next to him, and as I watched, he wrapped his arm tenderly around her, bending over to listen intently to whatever the child was saying. It was a charming, quiet moment that seemed to capture the essence of Newhart’s calm demeanor in real life.

Letting Go of Judgment: Choosing Peace

This moment, combined with Newhart’s iconic sketch, helped me realize how much judgment complicates our lives. It’s easy to get caught up in judging others, but if we can pause and reflect, we can choose to let go of judgment and replace it with love, peace, and understanding. The simple wisdom of “stop it” is more powerful than we often give it credit for.

So there you have it folks, let's all just stop it.  STOP IT!!  Stop the judging and live in peace. 

Want to go deeper into forgiveness?

Explore how forgiveness reconnects us to divine compassion in Unblocking our Connection to Love. Read it here →
My book, Forgiveness is the Key to Happiness, offers heartfelt guidance, spiritual tools, and real-life practices. Read it on Amazon →
Let daily affirmations support you too — discover the Forgiveness Metta Card Deck for a gentle morning practice of peace and release. View the deck on Etsy →

Let these tools light your path — because forgiveness sets you free.

— Sue Pipal  

"This Mind is in all People"--Embracing Oneness and Forgiveness in Ernest Holmes' Teachings

"The Mind which you use is the Mind which I use; It is the Mind which everyone uses.  It is the Mind of God and, because the Mind of God is a complete Unity, It is Omnipresent.  Therefore the Mind which you use and which is your mind now is the God-Mind in you.  This Mind is in all people, envelops all, and is at the center of every thing.  This is why it is that when you know the Truth at the center of your own being you know it within the only Mind there is."  --Ernest Holmes, Living the Science of Mind, p 118

We are all the same.  Strip away this world of dreams and it all boils down to one thing, we all spring forth from the same single mind.  We are one.  When we know this about another person, we are able to overlook any silly behavior they show us in this dream world.  It's not important.  It's them forgetting who they really are.  Just know their real truth for them, and let it go...

We Are One: The Mind of God in All of Us

Ernest Holmes, in his Living the Science of Mind, beautifully captures a profound truth: “This Mind is in all people.” He explains that the Mind which you use is the same Mind that I use; it is the Mind of God. This Mind is omnipresent, enveloping all beings and existing at the center of everything. The Mind of God is complete unity, and when we know the Truth at the center of our being, we know it within the only Mind there is.

This idea reveals a deep spiritual truth: we are all interconnected through the divine Mind. The barriers that we perceive between ourselves and others are illusions of the ego. At the core, we are all manifestations of this single divine Mind, and when we remember this, we can begin to see through the surface-level actions of others.

Overcoming the Illusion of Separation

When we strip away the distractions of this world—our judgments, our fears, our separateness—we come to realize that we all spring from the same source. We are one. Our differences, our mistakes, and the ways we fail to live up to our true nature, are just reflections of us forgetting who we truly are. They are part of the "dream" world we navigate while we journey toward awakening.

When we understand this, we can look past the behavior of others in the "dream world." Just as we seek to remember our own truth, we can also hold space for others to remember theirs. 

Forgiveness is Knowing the Truth of Another’s Being

When we forgive, we’re not excusing behaviors or letting anyone "off the hook." Instead, we’re choosing to acknowledge that at the deepest level, we are all connected and that each of us is a reflection of the divine Mind. Forgiveness is not just a gift we give to others; it’s the way we free ourselves from the illusion of separation.

Let this truth guide you today: you and everyone you meet are part of the same divine Mind. When you know this truth for yourself, you can know it for them too. And in that knowing, you can let go of any judgments and truly live in peace.

Want to go deeper into forgiveness?

• Explore how forgiveness reconnects us to divine compassion in Unblocking our Connection to Love.
• My book, Forgiveness is the Key to Happiness, offers heartfelt guidance, spiritual tools, and real-life practices. Read it on Amazon →
• Let daily affirmations support you too — discover the Forgiveness Metta Card Deck for a gentle morning practice of peace and release. View the deck on Etsy →

Let these tools light your path — because forgiveness sets you free.

— Sue Pipal

The Importance of Forgiveness in Jesus’ Teachings: A Path to Peace

"And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." 

Jesus' teachings emphasize the profound importance of forgiveness in our spiritual lives. He repeatedly instructed us to forgive others, not just seven times, but seventy times seven (Matthew 18:22), highlighting the boundless nature of forgiveness. He even forgave those who crucified him, showing us that forgiveness is the key to healing and peace. For Jesus, forgiveness wasn't just a moral imperative; it was a pathway to freedom from suffering, aligning us with the love and compassion of God. His words and actions set the ultimate example of how to live in alignment with divine love and compassion through the practice of forgiveness.

Want to go deeper into forgiveness?

• Explore how forgiveness reconnects us to divine compassion in Unblocking our Connection to Love.
• My book, Forgiveness is the Key to Happiness, offers heartfelt guidance, spiritual tools, and real-life practices. Read it on Amazon →
• Let daily affirmations support you too — discover the Forgiveness Metta Card Deck for a gentle morning practice of peace and release. View the deck on Etsy →

Let these tools light your path — because forgiveness sets you free.
— Sue Pipal

A Forgiveness Blessing: Sending Healing to Those Who Trigger You

Try this sometime on someone you feel annoyed with.  Simply close your eyes and feel these thoughts going out to them, blessing and healing.  All thoughts are shared.  When you know your brother's truth, it becomes available for them to know, too. 

You are immense, because you are everywhere. 

You are magnificent, because you are what God is. 

You are always, because you live in eternity.