The 18th century English poet, Alexander Pope said, “To err is human, to forgive, divine.”

We make mistakes regularly. All of us. The key, however, is what you do when this happens, whether you’re the one who has made the mistake or you’ve watched someone else do it. How do you respond? Do you beat yourself up? Are you critical of your mate, co-worker or friend? Do you feel guilty?

Do you hold out grimly determining who is right and who is wrong, scale in hand?

Forgive: It’s Divine

That scale of right and wrong is damaging to the soul. If forgiveness is divine (and this really does feel true, doesn’t it?), perhaps you can find and hold that attitude towards yourself. Maybe you can cultivate it for the people in your life. Because you cannot learn anything from your mistakes without being able to first forgive yourself. You cannot allow the present situation that’s causing you difficulty, to move forward without it.

What if you simply said, in the moment, “Oops, I made a mistake, I forgive myself”?  Try it right now. Breathe it in.

This creates a moment of grace inside of you. Feel that. Breathe that in.

Surrender to it.

Slow Down

When we sent out the newsletter last week we discovered a mistake. Oops. Scramble. Fix. RUSH.

That last part was the problem. Because we were rushing about to fix it, it took us four attempts to get it the way it was intended. We didn’t stop, take a deep breath and see what was really needed. We didn’t take a moment for a quiet chuckle (until later). I think when we can gently laugh at our mistakes, there is embedded within that a feeling of forgiveness.

Therein lies the grace.

“No one should be ashamed to admit they are wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that they are wiser today than they were yesterday. “ ~ Alexander Pope

Now, Time for Reflection

Take a breath. Release it. Take another. Devote some dedicated time of concentration/meditation. It doesn’t need to be hours of quiet, perhaps only 15 minutes. Then allow the question to simmer within you through the weekend. Let responses bubble up into your awareness. Notice new ways of thinking, of images or ideas that arise spontaneously. Pay attention to your dreams. Let it happen. Be aware. See where it leads you next. Let yourself savor this process of receiving from yourself. Don’t judge whatever comes up, just receive it. Make notes.

You may want to share something from this process. Sharing is an important way to anchor an insight in your body. It leads to deeper insight. It stimulates action.

We’d love to hear your stories about forgiving yourself!

Ready to have a virtual cup of tea with me and discover your “Right Fit” next step? Reach out to me here to schedule a complimentary introductory session.