Yesterday as we started our explorations with beliefs, you may have run into some bumps in the road. Today’s post is especially important in these circumstances AND it is priceless in all circumstances.
Today on our creative path we are going to examine self-forgiveness: what it is, how not forgiving ourself destructively impacts our lives and the lives of others and first steps to expressing yourself creatively as a means of healing.
One of the writing artists in history who get the concept of emotional intelligence was William Shakespeare. In “Winter’s Tale” he thoughtfully scribed these words: “Do as the heavens have done, forget your evil; With them forgive yourself.”
Maybe this is where we get that famous quip, “Forgive and forget.”
We don’t often think about the forget YOUR self and FORGIVE yourself.
It is often like the verse in two books in the Bible – both Matthew and Mark – that quotes Jesus saying “Love your neighbor as yourself” and most of us never hear the “as yourself” component.
Last week I started doing a daily exercise of asking for forgiveness through journaling and jotting toward the end of the day. I write down the tiny “I forgive myself for forgetting to buy broccoli” to the worst “I forgive myself for talking so harshly to myself that I cried for thirty minutes and had to postpone my appointment,” which runs the risk of the need for more forgiveness in the future as well.
Latasha Morrison reminds us, “In order to move from awareness to acknowledgment, we must first be brave enough to accept the historical truths and modern realities.”
The subject of your self-forgiveness today most likely has been building for a much longer time.
I have found underneath the seeds of my simple self-forgiveness are bunches of negative self-belief standing nearby, invisible in one ways but screaming out in other ways.
If you don’t try anything else in this month of blogging, please do this.
Jot a list of 1 – 5 things to forgive yourself for today.
Don’t think, just jot a phrase or two or all five.
If you are feeling energetic, read your list to a compassionate friend. You may also leave them here in the comments or send me an always private note.
I’ll start: I forgive myself for not writing the instructions for Coleen more clearly before I went to my appointment today.
I forgive myself for leaving my clothes on the bathroom floor.. Again.
I forgive myself for forgetting to make that telephone call again.
Next, it’s your turn. Start flexing your self-forgiveness muscles.
Meet Julie Jordan Scott:
🌟 Creative Life Coach & Muse Cultivator
🎨 | Award-Winning Writer/Actor/Storyteller
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✍🏻I am a writer first, writing & creativity coach, multi passionate creative next. Writing has always been my anchor art and to her I always return. Thankfully, with great love.
🎯 My aim is to create content here that inspires and instructs – if there is ever a topic you would like for me to explore, please reach out and tell me. My ultimate goal is to create posts, videos and more that speak to your desires as well as mine because where these two intersect, our collaborative, joyful energy ignites into a fire of love, light and passionate creativity.
I love this. I always remind people on my team that we are so quick to give grace to others, but rarely allow ourselves that same grace.
YES! That’s it exactly. Sometimes I get nudges that ask me “Would you talk to your.. (friend, daughter, person on the grocery line) the way you are talking to yourself?!”
I love this Julie! I think many of us are too hard on ourselves and while we praise and forgive others, we forget that we too need to be forgiven.
Such a powerful reminder about the importance of self-forgiveness! It’s not always easy, but it’s so freeing and necessary for growth. Thank you for sharing this heartfelt message!