Friday’s Fantastic Five-Issue One-Forgiveness
November 30th, 2007 | by Jeniffer |”Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.”-Paul Boese
Five ways to practice forgiveness, and why you need to now.
1) If you have made mistakes in the past (we all have), acknowledge you have done so.
Also acknowledge what you have learned from the mistake. Think about how you have grown from the experience. make amends to anyone who it is necessary for you to do so to (an honest “I’m sorry”, or “”I didn’t mean to…I didn’t know any better…”, whatever your apology may be.)
2) Forgive yourself.
As I said, we all make mistakes. It is how we learn. So, you have learned. Consider how wonderful it is that you will never do that again.
3) Realize that the entire world does not know.
Sometimes, when we are in error, it can seem like the world is watching and disapproving, particularly if we travel in a small circle of family and friends. This is not so. And it may help to know, no one should be judging you for having made an error–they have done so, as well.
4) If you have made a mistake years before, and it is still bothering you, do something to put it to rest now.
Perhaps you wronged someone in your past.
You must at some time realize that person has moved on, and so should you.
What’s done is done.
You cannot change it.
You can only try to make amends if necessary, chalk it up to experience, and continue on your journey.
5) Consider now.
Do not dwell over much on what has transpired before, nor focus completely on the future.
Focus on where you are now, on the person you are, on what you can do now to make your life better.
And realize that, very often, people we feel we have wronged are unaware that what we did is still bothering us.
They may have been touched by it in their lives, in the past, but they have gone forward.
You must do the same.
