Source: Steve Andreas

Associate into your higher values and self-esteem.

Sense the difference between the fundamental human essence of the individual as opposed to their behavior.

Feel your anger over harmful behaviors that some people engage in.

Take permission to sense the humanity of all, including people who engage in hurtful behavior.

Expand your state to include a sense of releasing, and associate it with the hurtful behaviors.

Connect with the aspect of yourself that is capable of responding to these hurtful behaviors.

Test.

Rid yourself of the brooding resentments that can sap your creative energies.

Step 1: Associate into your higher values and self-esteem. #

All people should feel a sense of sacredness or human dignity.

Step 2: Recognize the distinction between an individual’s fundamental human essence and their behavior. #

Step 3: Express your outrage at the harmful behaviors that some people engage in. #

This anger is not at the fundamental humanity that we protect with civil rights. You are feeling angry because of certain actions, especially actions that don’t follow those rights.

Step 4: Take permission to sense the humanity of all, including people who engage in hurtful behavior. #

Step 5: Extend your state to include a sense of release and link it to the harmful behaviors. #

Allow yourself to conjure a sense of release, and imagine releasing, for now, your attachment to these behaviors. This attachment may consist of ruminating about them, over-focusing on how they must be punished, or other ways of being attached. Of course, this step is not intended to reduce your capacity, commitment, or responsibility for addressing such behaviors.

Step 6: Get in touch with the part of yourself that is capable of responding to these harmful behaviors. #

This can include your power of speech and the ability to cultivate it over time. It can include your awareness and understanding of the boundaries that these hurtful behaviors cross in order to be hurtful. It can include your preparedness to defend those boundaries under certain circumstances.

Step 7: Test. #

Notice if this process has reduced your resentment and expanded your forgiveness. Notice in the coming days or weeks how any changes in your forgiveness are playing out.