Today’s Forgiveness Friday focuses on “Residual Mistakes.” We as humans have a tendency to residually make the same mistake over and over and over. Learning from one’s mistakes is healthy, rather than continuously making the same mistakes without learning from it. The growth comes when you realize the residual mistake is not only a mistake, but also a lesson. Residual mistakes can impair our ability to grow, learn and develop. But they also allow us to take a self reflection of what’s actually important to us. The intrinsic nature of mistakes is to learn and grow from them. It is time to come up higher, grow and learn from our mistakes and no longer blame them for lack of ability to be happy or successful. Today, take the time to reflect on your residual mistakes and see if they are working in your favor or against your ability to grow.

Today’s Forgiveness Friday focuses on “excepting imperfections.” We all have the ability to strive for perfection. In striving for perfection, we must also realize that is ultimately impossible to do anything perfectly. It is time for the acceptance of imperfections and to allow our imperfections to enable us to be better today than yesterday. Our ability to strive for perfection comes from the notion that we must be better than somebody else. The realization that everybody has innately natural gifts which allow for everyone to bring a little bit of something different to the table. This enables us to appreciate other people’s gifts, abilities and thought patterns. Imperfections are not weaknesses, and rather they are a reminder of our need for one another. It is time to forgive yourself for the imperfect thought of perfection being necessary. Take some time and examine your imperfections, and then find the best parts of the imperfections and use them to grow. It’s important to remember that everybody isn’t good at everything all the time. Embrace your imperfections, share them with people that can grow and learn from them. The truth is you are imperfectly perfect just the way you are, live and grow in that truth.

Today’s Forgiveness Friday focuses on “The Forgiveness Formula.” Forgiveness takes time and efforts. Once you realize that you will never be able to “press a button” and forgive and forget the easier the path toward forgiveness will be. It is important to realize that you are a part of a larger “Forgiveness Formula.” The book “The Forgiveness Formula” talks about the “pathology of forgiveness which you were born into.” Yes, you have our own ways of forgiving, but you also have family dynamics which have shaped how you forgive. How does your mother forgive? How does your father forgive? How do your siblings forgive? How does/did your grandmother or grandfather forgive? These are patterns have shaped your “Forgiveness Formula.” Take some time and write out the forgiveness patterns you have and those of your close family members. Then connect your forgiveness patterns to those that you have similar forgiveness patterns. Do you see a pattern? When I completed this exercise, I noticed huge similarities. The good news is you can change your “Forgiveness Formula” with time and efforts. Focus on who you want to be and the part forgiveness plays in your own life.

Barnes and Noble Book Reference: The Forgiveness Formula 

This week focuses on understanding humility. Humility is something we normally don’t think of as an attribute. But, humility is something that we must all obtain in order to learn more about others and ourselves. A humble mine is able to learn and grow, it also ensures the ability to commit one self to further and deeper understandings for richer relationships. Humility is not a weakness; it is something that takes strength. We must try to consciously be aware of humility when having a conversation or interacting with others. When you’re humble you’re able to come up higher and gain a deeper understanding of self. A humble mine doesn’t always have to be right, or be the one to call out someone else’s flaws. Today forgive yourself or others for not practicing humility as much as they should. Take a moment to think of ways that you could practice more humility in your everyday life. This will help you be more aware of areas where growth and development are possible. Remember, humility gives way to a richer and deeper understanding of oneself and others.

This week focuses on forgiveness for making excuses. Excuses are like opinions, everybody has one. The problem comes when we make excuses for things that we know we should be doing for ourselves in our lives. You may be making excuses for reasons for why you’re in debt instead of making a plan on how to get out of debt. You may be making excuses for why you can’t lose weight instead of focusing on eating healthy. You may be making excuses for why you haven’t received a promotion at work instead of improving your job skills by obtaining more education or on the job training. No matter your excuse the only way to find a solution for the problem is to forgive yourself for making excuses and come up with a plan on how to obtain your goals. Many times when we face something head on and stop making excuses for it we become an inspiration for others. Many people struggle with similar problems. Instead of focusing on making excuses, focus on how to overcome your excuses with solutions.

This week focuses on forgiveness of feeling angry. Anger is something that we as humans all encounter at one time or another in our lives. The cliché phrase says, “anger is one letter away from danger.” We can we can control our anger if we begin to recognize the source of the anger. Anger arises as a direct result of not dealing with something head-on. Feeling angry is not the issue; rather the issue comes from acting on our anger. When you begin to feel feelings of anger, take a moment to think about why the feelings of anger have come into your mind. Take minute for going deeper to find the source. Take 60 seconds and ask yourself three questions. Why am I angry? Is this anger the result of an action from another? Have I had any participation and the results of their actions? Try to find the core of your angry feelings. You will begin to realize how to allow for those angry feelings to subside or calm down. Remember, there’s nothing wrong with feeling anger, the question is what you do as a result of your feelings of being angry.

This week focuses on forgiveness of “yourself for over complicating your life.” Way too many times we overcomplicate our life with expectations, obligations and insinuations. We overcomplicate our life by thinking that we are expected to be and do everything for everyone all the time. Within this mindset, obligations begin to bog us down and make us feel as though we have no choice in the situation. The truth of the matter is, when you start to insinuate requirements and bow down to obligations, unforgiveness starts to nest. This week, take some time to think about any expectations, obligations or insinuations being requested of you. Seek to find the root of these requests. Choose to forgive yourself for allowing expectations, obligations and insinuations to nest unforgiveness and your being.