Forgiveness: the path of inner kindness

Have you ever thought, 'I would never have done that?'

I have.  More than once.


If you spot 'it' (in another), you got! Whatever irritates you in another is a mirror on a part of yourself that is waiting to be healed.

Then I read somewhere that I, as myself, may not have done that in my circumstances, but had I lived the other person's life and had their experiences, then I would have done exactly that: just as they did.

It's so easy to judge.  It's part fear, part laziness.  Fear because we are afraid of the part of us that acts in that exact way, and laziness because we would rather pretend it's 'out there' than do the inner work of healing that part of ourselves.

Healing is all about forgiveness.  We can heal ourselves, our rifts from others, by forgiving ourselves.  Not them.  Us.

Forgiveness is healing.  Forgiveness is accepting.  Accepting our own pain, our own limitations, our own failings.  Not giving excuses.  Not justifying anything with reasons 'why'.  Not judging others.

Forgiveness is allowing ourselves to have got it wrong.  Allowing ourselves to see a better way , a way that is kinder to both us and others.