Seven Secrets for Inspired Success
Secret Five The fifth secret is to forgive yourself and anyone else that you feel has wronged you in any way. Remember, every life experience is about growth. When we have this perspective we can more easily understand that situations are neither good nor bad, they simply are. This perspective may be a bit difficult to understand at first. Think about a time of intense growth for you. Was that time difficult? Chances are, it was. If you grew, was that time good or bad? It was neither; it was an experience from which you grew. Very difficult challenges are some of the best learning grounds for developing understanding. These experiences are mirrors that challenge our current belief systems and cause us to reevaluate our values. The only image our magic mirror reflects is our own. Each must look into their own mirror. The other people involved in the same experience are there for their own learning. Their experience really has nothing to do with us. What they learn is up to them and their personal choices. What we learn is up to us. Therefore, its important that we focus only on ourselves, releasing any inclination to judge others for their actions or to control others choices. Look at each life experience openly and honestly, having your own growth in heart. Where did you live true to your values? Where did you not? What will you do differently the next time? Forgive yourself if you have diverged from your values. Recommit to grow and look for small opportunities to demonstrate to yourself that you are living true to what gives your life meaning. Forgive others and release them to their own learning. When we look back in history we see that some of our greatest heroes were people who suffered deeply at the hands of others but chose to forgive them. Think in recent times of people such as Anne Frank. After living through such a tragic time she still said that regardless of what she had seen and lived through, she believed that people were good at heart. This level of forgiveness requires an objectivity that liberates the observer from personal agenda and judgment. It allows us to forgive others who are wrestling with the truth and releases them to their learning. Ill close with a quote by Mark Twain, Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that crushes it. |
