018: The Courage to Forgive

by | Aug 12, 2018 | Podcast

 

Today we discuss the life-changing awareness, purpose, and power that come from forgiveness.

 

The ability to forgive deeply allows us to live more balanced lives and become liberated from energetic blocks and wounds from the past. We have the power within us to change everything, but first, we have to change our minds and how we see things.

My guest, Azim Khamisa, shares his inspirational journey and message of forgiveness, peace, and hope. Following the loss of his only son, Tariq, due to a senseless, gang-related murder, Azim chose the path of forgiveness and compassion rather than revenge and bitterness.

He shares his 3-step process of forgiveness, as well as a process for redemption that sets people free to enjoy a life full of richness and meaning.

 

We Discuss:

  • Symptoms that often stem from a lack of forgiveness and how they impact us
  • The 6 critical areas of forgiveness that need to be considered
  • Thinking about forgiveness differently and addressing underlying issues
  • Letting go of the weakness that’s residing in our mind, body, and soul
  • The necessary steps to forgiving yourself and forgiving others
  • Letting go of resentment, anger, guilt, and other negative emotions
  • Why forgiveness is absolutely essential for us to manifest our goals

 

“We all have a journey, and we all have to learn how to forgive because that’s part of being human and a part of us being able to move towards enlightenment.”  –  Azim Khamisa

 

About Azim:

Azim Khamisa is an author, peace activist, and international inspirational speaker who was born in Kenya, Africa.

He is an inspiration that is hailed by dignitaries such as the Dalai Lama, Former President Bill Clinton, and Al Gore, Azim carries his inspirational message of forgiveness, peace, and hope into a world in desperate need of each.

Committing his life to halting the continuing cycle of violence among the youth, Azim became a social activist after his 20-year-old college student son Tariq was senselessly murdered while delivering pizzas in January 1995 by Tony Hicks, a 14-year-old gang member.

Out of unspeakable grief and despair, Khamisa was inspired to transform his loss through the miraculous power of forgiveness.

Believing that there were “victims at both ends of the gun,” Azim forgave Tony and founded the Tariq Khamisa Foundation (www.TKF.org) to break the cycle of youth violence by saving lives, empowering positive choices and teaching the principles of nonviolence and peacemaking.

Soon after establishing the foundation, Azim invited Ples Felix, Tony’s grandfather and guardian, to join him. Together, since November 1995, the two have brought their story and message through TKF’s Peacemaker Assemblies and other programs.

The duo has reached over a million elementary and middle school children live and several million via video programs, guiding the youth to choose a peacemaker’s life of nonviolence and forgiveness.

Because of his work in impacting social policy and norms, Azim is a highly regarded and respected leader and a sought-after speaker nationally and internationally.

Having given over 1000 presentations to grade schools and university students and over 550 keynote speeches at conferences worldwide – including an audience of 300,000 at the “Stand for Children” rally in Washington D.C. in 1996 – Azim has received over 63 regional, national and international awards.

A well-traveled, multi-lingual naturalized United States citizen, he resides in La Jolla, California, Azim is also the proud father of Tasreen and Tariq and a proud grandfather of Khalil, Shahin, and Miya.

With various inspirational products available on his website, he is an award-winning author of the book: Azim’s Bardo – From Murder To Forgiveness – A Father’s Journey.

He followed up this book in November 2007 with From Forgiveness to Fulfillment, showing the continued evolution in an unfolding story that is his path, his passion, and his life.

A third in the trilogy is From Fulfillment to Peace, which provides the final recipe for sustained peace.

Published in 2009 by Random House was The Secrets of the Bulletproof Spirit: How to Bounce Back from Life’s Hardest Hits, coauthored with Jillian Quinn.

Azim’s story is featured in an upcoming feature film, as well as documentaries such as The Power of Forgiveness, Unlikely Friends, Azim Khamisa – The Tool of Forgiveness and The Truth.

Says Azim, “We humans continuously confront defining moments in our lives. Sometimes these events are joyous; sometimes they are tragedies. At these moments it’s important to make the right choices. When we do, we are literally able to manifest a miracle and produce transformation in ourselves and others.”

 

“If you’re living in resentment or you’re living in guilt, it precludes you from being out there 100%, and if you’re not out there 100% then you’re not giving enough credit to yourself, your family, and most importantly to your community. We need everybody to be out there 100% so we can change this crazy world.”  –  Azim Khamisa

 

Resources Mentioned:

Visit TheCourageToChangeEverything.com to pre-order Ken’s new book, The Courage to Change Everything: Strategies and Wisdom to Transform Your Life One Day at a Time

Learn More About Host Ken D. Foster

 

Thanks For Listening!

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