Thursday, March 26, 2015

When We "Do a Bad Thing"


"We're not bad people but we did a bad thing."
A recent show on Netflix ended with the line above. It stayed with me the following day as I examined my own actions and reflected on recent events in the lives of my clients, family and friends. Haven't we have all done something we regret, something thoughtless, mean or cruel? Each and every one of us has acted in a way that has been hurtful to another. By recognizing ourselves in the statement above we initiate forgiveness. Through atonement we begin to understand ourselves as well as absolve others. Only then can we be free to love.
Part of forgiving ourselves is to recognize that we have made choices and hold ourselves responsible for them. When we blame others for our actions we become victims. Unforgiving judgement fuels a culture of contempt and self-hatred. What if we chose to rejoice in our mistakes? For aren't they truly the anvil on which our wisdom is shaped and formed? Never miss an opportunity to learn from them.

As we stumble so do we grow. Forgive and be free from painful thoughts that lead to living in the past. Cultivate profound healing and love through forgiveness. 
"Was it you or I who stumbled first? It does not matter. The one of us who finds the strength to get up first, must help the other."
Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration