Forgiveness is a fashion worth fighting for

May 21, 2017 2:20 PM

Pope, the legendary eighteenth century satirical poet, was the originator of the saying:

To err is human; to forgive, divine.

It’s an oldie, but a goodie. And it will always be a powerful mantra for our daily dealings with others.

But lest we forget, the river flows both ways. We can’t overlook the grudges we hold inside our own heads.

The first beneficiary of forgiveness is always ourselves.

Because the mantra isn’t solely about extending kindness to those who trespass against us, it’s also about practicing compassion with ourselves. Especially in those small, quiet moments when nobody else is around, when it’s tempting to morph into the internet bullies of our own minds.

Every time I perform music in public, I make mistakes. It’s guaranteed. Perfection is an illusion. People who say otherwise are either liars or robots.

But the good news is, there’s an invaluable skill that we can develop along the path of failure.

Recovery. Quickly, quietly and compassionately letting go of those mistakes, powering through and continuing the performance.

Because the show must go on. If we don’t forgive ourselves now, we’ll keep paying for the mistake over and over again. And what a shameful waste of mental resources that would be.

Next time you blunder in front of the crowd, use kindness to set yourself free.

Treat it as another adventure in compassion.

Because heaping on more guilt won’t help you learn from the mistake.

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Are you still incapable of dispensing forgiveness to yourself?

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Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.

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