Although I had a variety of religious influence as a child primarily through Baptist, Catholic, and Islamic teachings – I’ve always considered myself to be more of a spiritual person. I have always been curious about the “meaning of life” and what comes next. I believe in a higher power but have stopped putting a face, name, gender, and even form on said power. The only thing that I am truly certain of in this life, is that I know nothing of what lies beyond this world. I do believe, however, that our time here on Earth in our physical body is just a mere moment in our soul’s existence. In short, I bought Radical Forgiveness at the start of 2019 with the hopes of discovering some tools to help me better understand, cope, and make sense of this crazy adventure we call life. I didn’t get around to reading it until the start of 2020 but overall, was very pleased with my purchase.
Book Title: Radical Forgiveness > A Revolutionary Five-Stage Process to Heal Relationships · Let Go of Anger & Blame · Find Peace in Any Situation
Author: Colin Tipping
Pages: 352 (Paperback)
I underwent some significant trauma when my mother unexpectedly passed away my senior year of college. Although I’ve come to terms with the events of my early twenties – I have no doubt that my mother’s death and circumstances surrounding it have greatly influenced who I have become as an adult and how I view the world. I’ve always been a glass-half-full kind of girl, but even the most optimistic of souls can be struck down by the toll of emotional wounds. Over the last thirteen years, I have realized that grief is ongoing and something that never truly goes away – it ebbs and flows like the tide. And suffering through one major trauma does not mean I am exempt from future agonizing events. It only means that I am, hopefully, better equipped to handle the new set of trials and tribulations that are bound to occur as I age. This style of thinking has allowed me to try and view the sudden death of my mother as less of a hindrance and more of an opportunity for clarity and personal growth.
REVIEW: Colin Tipping’s book reminds us that it’s better to embrace painful emotions over the simpler choice of tucking them away into a far-off corner of one’s mind. He presents the idea that a negative event can just be seen as an event, and labels like “good” & “bad” are irrelevant in understanding the lessons our soul desires to learn from certain experiences. And as the title implies, Tipping goes on to describe the difference between traditional forgiveness and the more extreme, transcendental version of forgiveness. His book also offers up personal stories, illustrations, diagrams, and practical exercises that help explain both the concept and implementation of radical forgiveness. Considering the subject matter, I found this book incredibly easy to read and just as easy to understand. Tipping writes in a way that is clear, concise, relatable, empathetic, and intriguing. Radical Forgiveness naturally lends itself to the spiritual, philosophical, and open-minded among us but can serve as an excellent resource for anyone seeking new ideas on how to release emotional burdens and achieve inner peace.
Radical Forgiveness offers a lot of insight and plenty of sage advice for those both open to it and those who may be a bit more skeptical. I never dog ear or highlight books, but I found myself placing quite a few sticky tabs throughout the pages of this guide. I was captivated by Tipping’s take about existence before birth, decisions of the soul, the human experience, the afterlife, and so much more. One of the most impactful passages, and there are many that stood out, says…
Therein lies the power of this work, for, as we shall see in later chapters, releasing victimhood provides the key to health, personal power, and spiritual evolution. We have been addicted to the victim archetype for eons, and as we move into the Aquarian Age (the next two-thousand-year period of spiritual evolution), we must answer the call to let go of the past, release the victim archetype, and be more aware of life occurring in the moment.
Whether the reader decides to accept everything Tipping presents, agrees with just a portion of his principles, or denounces his entire way of thinking, Radical Forgiveness is quite interesting, nonetheless, and a book I recommend for all adults.
Happy Reading!
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