The Possibility of Forgiveness

This world contains greed and violence. It also holds hope and healing. I've come to believe that our deepest wound is the harm we do to ourselves. This includes negative self-talk, but it's much wider. We hurt ourselves when we live life that's untrue; when we punish ourselves with self-improvement; when we refuse to see choices; or when we limit ourselves to certain roles and identities. There are so many ways we unconsciously harm ourselves. And these little hurts build up over years. At some point, we must acknowledge the ways we mistreat ourselves, but acknowledge this with an open heart. Yes, I've hurt myself. Yes, I can begin again. I'm sorry. I forgive you. It's an odd inner-dialogue, but it works. Forgiving ourselves is a brave act of healing. It might begin in a heady way, then the real healing happens when we forgive from our heart; forgive in an embodied way. But the starting place is more basic: the recognition that forgiveness is possible.

Here's the third in my video series, "Healing with Self-Compassion": 
Laughter and Forgiveness.

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