– THE VALUES OF SELF-FORGIVENESS –
‘To err is human, and to forgive is divine’, Alexandra Pope- poet of Enlightenment said so.
Let me share my experience relating to this statement. During my puberty period, my mood kept changing erratically. Once after receiving criticism from my Mum, I accidentally uttered graceless words. Seeing the surprise on my mother’s face, I recognized that I should not behave to my venerable Mum like that. Although my Mum expressed sympathy and understanding towards me after that, the regretfulness still weighed heavily on my mind. Later, I realized that such a feeling only made the situation worse. I decided to make changes to nurture a better perspective. I began to learn the wise way to deal with my past mistakes. I actively had heart-to-heart conversations with Mum, and tenderly showed my care to Mum more. I also practiced effective ways of emotion control. Through my sincere efforts, our relationship blossomed based on mutual respect and understanding. As a result, smiles frequently appeared on my Mum’s lips. The atmosphere in my family was much warmer. The burden of guilt in my heart vanished magically, and my heart was completely relieved!
Forgiving oneself for past mistakes can truly lead to personal growth and contribute to making the world a better place. Making mistakes is unavoidable in our life, but the matter that should be concerned with is what we learn from the mistakes, and more importantly how wisely we deal with our mistakes.