Transforming a regular walk into a walk of forgiveness, like this recent one last fall where I was born and raised.
© Kathy J. Sotak

TOTAL READ TIME: 2 MINUTES

Recently, I journeyed through the 365-day Course in Miracles study. Have you heard of it? It’s a dense spiritual book, with tiny yet punchy daily practices spanning the course of a year. For me, every day’s lesson required multiple readings to really get at what I needed to learn.

One section that stopped me in my tracks included the sentence, “The cost of giving is receiving.” This is a fancier way of explaining Karma, or the Golden Rule as the Bible teaches us: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

I’m stuck on the Course in Miracles version though…“The cost of giving is receiving.” Adding the descriptor “cost” infers that there is a price to pay with every interaction and exchange. The supporting thought is that energy is exactly the same, whether you give it or receive it. It does the same exact job. It is the same exact thing.

For example:

  • If I am giving someone anger, I am experiencing the energy of anger. I have therefore received anger.
  • If I am giving judgment, I am experiencing the energy of judgment. I have therefore received judgment.

On the flipside:

  • If I am giving someone love, I am feeling love. I have therefore received love.
  • If I am giving out laughter, I have joy in my heart. I have therefore received joy.

Every couple of months, I go on what I now call a Heart Walk. The mission of a Heart Walk is to forgive.

Who am I kidding? To give you a more honest answer, the Heart Walk is to test out this concept of giving and receiving. It includes the selfish goal to cleanse my heart of cobwebs stuck in the corners. It is to help me feel more joy, happiness and fullness in my life.

To start my Heart Walk, I step through past chapters of life. Who have I mistreated? Who has mistreated me? What has happened between others that is still causing a pain in my heart? Where is there a block that prevents me from showing up fully in my life today? Is there a way to dissolve a blockage, standing in my way?

At this point in my walk, my legs are moving strong. My heart is beating loudly, each pulse painting a past picture. Now in my mind’s eye, I picture each person or situation, one at a time, and walk towards them. I say, “I forgive you,” then hold them in love and light. I move onto the next, until everything and everyone has been held.

The most surprising thing?

The one person that caused so much pain, that kept coming up at every corner, was me.

I gave forgiveness to those who caused me pain. I experience the energy of forgiveness. I therefore received forgiveness.

I needed this reminder today:  the thoughts and feelings I give out are being received somewhere. This is the cost. The energy is exactly the same, whether we give it or receive it.