The Gift of Forgiveness

How many of you have ever had someone treat you in a way that you did not deserve? Of you, how many of you have people in your past that you have not yet been able to completely forgive for treating you in such a way?

If this was a classroom I would ask you to look around to see that almost everyone’s hands were up. If people were being completely honest with themselves you would find that the entire class would have raised hands.

Everyone, at some point or another, has been treated poorly by another person. The general hope is that eventually people will wise up and stop this sort of thing, but for the moment we must accept the fact that this is an unfortunate reality in our world.

If you have been hurt by another person there are several things that you will need to do at some point, and sooner is much better than later, in order to mitigate the effects that it has on your life. The first step is, of course, to ensure that you are safe and that you cannot be hurt by this person again.
This can be hard if the person that has caused you harm is someone very close to you or someone that you care for deeply. In those cases the best thing to do is to speak with that person, if possible, and explain to them how much they have hurt you. If they care for you as much as you care for them they will make sure that no further harm will come your way by their hands.

If they do not, then perhaps it is time to reevaluate your relationship with that person. This applies to any interpersonal relationship, whether it is family, friends, strangers, or work colleagues. You are free to associate with whom you choose regardless of how the other person may be connected to you.
The second step is to forgive that person.

Depending on your circumstances this step may sound quite difficult, or even something you are not willing to do. For some people the idea that you will not forgive them is in some way a punishment towards them. Perhaps you may feel that they deserve this punishment and you are not ready to release them.

For the most part, however, the only person you are punishing is yourself. By holding onto the blame and anger you are causing yourself psychological and spiritual distress. This stress can even manifest itself into physical ills in your body if you let it go on too long. Withholding forgiveness also prevents you from moving on with your life, even if it is in a small way. You will be forever attached to this person so long as you still hold on to anger and resentment towards them.

When you forgive someone you are not saying that what they did was okay. You are not saying that they get to hang around you anymore. You are most certainly not saying that you are willing to accept that behavior again. What you are really saying is that you will no longer allow their past actions to impact your current life. You are stating that you understand that they are a divine child of God and are subject to making the same mistakes that we all are.

You do not even have to tell the person that you are forgiving them. Heck, they may not even know that you were mad at them in the first place. This is something that is for you alone.
When you truly forgive someone, you are setting aside the burden of having to constantly remember what they did to you. It may seem now that you could never forget it, but you will eventually move past it if you allow yourself. It does not matter the circumstances of the harm that was inflicted upon you, you will only be able to grow from the experience and become stronger for it once you are no longer saddled with assigning guilt and blame.

The feeling of freedom and lightness that is described by those people who do forgive is unbelievable. It is not unheard of for people to seemingly lose a decade of aging once they have set aside their burden. Giving yourself this gift is quick, easy, painless, costs absolutely nothing and yet rewards you in untold ways.

You may not be ready to forgive today, and that is okay. Just as long as you acknowledge the fact that you will have to someday in order to move further is enough. You will be guided as to when the right time is.

Thank you for reading,

Grant Virtue

How Can the Angels of Abundance Help You?

The primary reason that God and the Angels of Abundance are so willing to help us manifest abundance, something that is by definition a mortal desire, is that they know that we cannot achieve our life purpose if we are worrying about what to eat. Everyone's life purpose is just as important as everyone else's. There is no situation in which you deserve more or less comfort and security than someone else simply because you have chosen a more private or humble life path.  Knowing that we are all on a level playing field, how can we look at someone that has more than us and possibly assume that they have something we cannot have? That is a fallacy based on fear that we should never let take root within ourselves. We must simply ask for the help that we need, rather than wait for it to find us. Taking proactive steps towards our own betterment is the only real path to success.  Several people have told me over the years that they do ask and ask more or less continuously but nothing seems to happen. That is a great first step, but if it is not followed up by listening then of course success is not a likely outcome. Just as if you would never want to be so rude as to have only one sided conversations with other people, so too must you take time to listen to what God and the Angels are saying to you.  Depending on who you are, and what manner of natural strengths you have, the answers that you will be given can vary wildly. However everyone will receive a sign. It is up to you to pay attention to those signs and then act upon them.  The Angels of Abundance, like all angels, are here to help bring you divine guidance and protection. The only thing they ask is that you participate in the process.  More information can be found in my book Angels of Abundance, available on Kindle and in paperback at finer bookstores worldwide. Many Blessings, Grant Virtue

Being Mindful of Choice

There is no such thing as a wrong choice, so long as that choice was made with conscious thought. It is only when we act without thinking or being fully aware of the consequences can we be said to be making a wrong decision. Certainly other people may make decisions that we do not necessarily agree with, but only they can decide for themselves whether or not their choice was appropriate for the situation.

Awareness, by it's very nature, leads to change. This is precisely why some very effective rehabilitation programs require addicts to draw up an honest budget. The thought is that if this person would just see and be aware of how much they are spending on cigarettes, alcohol or drugs they would at the very least cut dramatically back.

So too does awareness lead us to reevaluate all sorts of habits and unconscious activities. If you were to take an honest look at the situation from every angle, would you still be quite so vehemently opposed to a particular political stance? When you support, or do not support, a cause is it because you have really thought about it or does it simply seem like the right thing to do?

This awareness can have practical value in your everyday life as well. If you are like me and are interested in gadgets of various sorts, ask yourself next time whether or not this new gadget will improve your life or just make it more complicated. Be honest with yourself. If the answer is that it will indeed make some aspect of your life better, then by all means but if you want it just to have it then make the conscious choice to reject it.

You may find that every decision that you make throughout the day is indeed the right one. There may be absolutely nothing in your behavior that needs to change. However, on the off chance that your reaction to a given situation may not be the right one for the situation, look and think before you act next time. Awareness is consciousness, and consciousness is life.

Grant Virtue

The Purpose of Play

The world we live in is a remarkably beautiful place. Sometimes, however, we can forget this important fact. When we spend every minute of every day rushing around trying to get somewhere else, do something else and meet with someone else we forget to notice the here and the now.

This is precisely why it is so important to take time to play. Give yourself permission to do something you enjoy simply for the fun of doing it. There is no purpose looking for profit beyond enjoying the moment.

Remember when you were a small child how magical everything looked to you. It can still be this way now. The trick is to really be in the moment without any thought of what may come next. It is only when we distract our mind with the list of things that we need to do that we miss out on the beauty around us.

The next time you find yourself in the park eating a sandwich, taking a walk on a sunny morning or even just going out for a jog, see everything around you as if for the very first time. Pay no attention to the time, banish all thoughts of meetings or schedules and just be. Then watch as the magic returns.

Angels of Abundance

The wait is finally over! Angels of Abundance, the new book by Grant Virtue, is available now at Amazon and soon booksellers everywhere.

Angels of Abundance gives you clear and concrete steps to take to manifest the abundance that you need to fulfill your life purpose. God and the angels want you to live a life without lack and without want so that nothing distracts you from your mission.

This book is suitable for beginners and experienced practitioners alike.

Buy Angels of Abundance

A Holiday Gift to You

Happy Holidays Everyone!

This is my favorite time of the year. Throughout the ages, in nearly every civilization, winter has meant a great deal to humans. This is the time of the year where work in the fields would come to a close and people would spend most of their time with close friends and family.

In the far northern regions winter also meant long periods of time with little or no sunlight. This darkness was kept at bay with everything from roaring fires to simple candles.

It is no surprise that most winter holidays today share some of the same charataristics of the old days. We still celebrate through the use of candles, feasting, and spending lots of time with loved ones.

One particular winter tradition that has evolved quite a bit over the years is the exchanging of gifts. Despite what some may consider rampant commercialism I still feel that there is such intrinsic value in this energetic exchange. Our language, any verbal language for that matter, is so incredibly limited in its ability to properly convey complex emotions such as love and gratitude. By giving someone something that you spent time selecting you are essentially bridging the gap between emotion and language.

To show my gratitude to you, dear readers, for making this such an incredibly blessed year I would like to give you all a copy my book Living a Blessed Life. For the next couple of days Amazon has the digital copy of this book listed as free and I encourage each of you to take this gift while it is available.

Please click here to receive the book.

Again, thank you everyone and please have a magical, blessed and safe holday!

Grant Virtue

SpiralDance™Certification Workshop

Spirals are symbolic of life's journey, connectivity to the Divine, growth, releasing, rebirth, the movements between the inner and outer worlds, the cosmic dance of the universe. SpiralDance™ is the movement of spiraling, awakening and developing self-awareness and deep connection with your mind, body, emotions and soul. It is through dancing the path of the spiral that helps us delve within to the core of all things, connect with God Source, invigorate, discover, understand, accept, learn, obtain health and wellness.

SpiralDance™ dances the spiral by working with all elements Air, Fire, Water, Earth and Ether, connecting with All That Is; working all energetic bodies as well as the physical body on all levels; aiding one in discovering the body as a divine instrument of expression and creation.

SpiralDance™ was conceived when I left the professional dance world and discovered "traditional" dancing didn't suit me anymore. As my spiritual journey continued, I discovered there was not a dance class that allowed freedom of my spiritual expression. I still wanted to stay in shape, challenge myself and explore movement. I still wanted to dance! And I desired to dance deeply, satisfyingly, creatively, through spirit. I still wanted to keep the structure of technique so as to be safe, healthy and mobile while dancing. I desired to grow in strength and flexibility while keeping connection with Source.

My training as a Martha Graham dancer inspired me to dig deeper into the inner landscaping of myself and humanity. All those years of dancing inspiring, technically challenging contemporary ballets pushed me to open up my venerability and stretch beyond traditionally acceptable dance. In April 2008, dancing in a cramped tiny room, SpiralDance™ was born. Several months later, after some encouragement and support from a dear friend, I found myself teaching SpiralDance™ in Peru! How wonderful it was to see these people expressing, connecting and sharing through dance. This experience inspired me to continue SpiralDance™.

I am excited to share SpiralDance™ with you! Join me in Maui October 23-25, 2012 for the first SpiralDance™ Certification Workshop! In this workshop, you will learn the tools, techniques and philosophies that make up SpiralDance™. You will walk away with a profound learning experience of spiritual movement. Upon completion of this workshop, you will receive the certification necessary to teach SpiralDance™ classes.

I would be honored to dance with you!

For more information, please click here.

Blessings!

Melissa