Love Skill #10
Forgive Yourself
By Dr. Scott Peck & Shannon Peck
Self-forgiveness
Forgiveness begins with an attitude towards life of acceptance and learning rather than condemnation and despair. You make a life choice not to condemn yourself but rather to appreciate all you are learning as you move higher. For example, if you look at the human experience all the way from infancy to old age, you quickly understand that absolutely everyone is on a learning curve. We all make mistakes. Lots of them. The idea of perfection is unachievable. What can you do about this? You can practice self forgiveness as an intelligent and enlightened way of loving yourself. Often, however, the most challenging areas of our lives, where we thought or acted at less than our highest possibility, teach us the most valuable lessons. Such “failures” cause us to grow in character and wisdom. By allowing yourself to make plenty of mistakes – without judging yourself for being stupid or wrong, you stay in a loving place with yourself. You see your mistakes as opportunities to learn rather than opportunities to condemn or hate yourself and you move forward in life. Can you look at the past and release feelings of guilt, regret, and disappointment over what you said or did? Or what you failed to say or do but wish you had? Look at the areas where you have the most regret over past behaviors and start forgiving yourself right now. Let your life have an attitude of humility as you choose to forgive yourself. We’re all going to make more mistakes. As Henry Kissinger is reported to have said to his staff when taking over as Secretary of State: By practicing self forgiveness, exchanging your self-condemning feelings with more honoring ones, you move towards a place of freedom and inner peace. Negative feelings will lessen and finally cease. Your life energy will be freed from the slavery of condemnation and opened to the fulfillment of your life purpose. So choose to be your own best friend. Come to your own aid as a Love Master and forgive yourself generously every day.
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Copyright (c) 2006-2017 by Scott & Shannon Peck