I’m not perfect. Who wants to be perfect? There are all sorts of pressure and stress applied to you when you strive for perfection. When we fail, we learn. We keep learning. Day in, day out, I’ve learned something new, something forgotten, something….abstract.

Something I have had trouble with most of my life, and I’m sure many other feel the same, is forgiving myself. Catholics have a way of absolving their sin, right? They go to confession and the Father forgives them. It’s so easy for someone else to say we are forgiven, why not then, tell ourselves this same message? I forgive you; I forgive myself. Don’t forget about this important act. Forgiveness can dissolve your negative thoughts, bring about a brighter outlook in life, and most important, bring peace of mind to the sinner.

When there is a deed or phrase spoken that I feel guilty about, it takes some time for me to realize how much I’m beating myself up on the inside. I’m calling myself names: pathetic, liar, loser, whore, trash, idiot, scum. I’m associating one act with a character trait that I usually don’t posses in my daily life. My thoughts start to focus around these negative thoughts, and regardless of others input, I keep my nose buried to the ground and refuse to let go of these condescending ideas about myself. It takes some quiet time and stillness within my mind to really evaluate my actions and personality. Forgiveness is the first step to understanding why I make certain decisions or to help me move on from a traumatic event in my life.

I hope others find forgiveness in themselves as well. Whatever your method may be, I feel it is very important to forgive yourself to create a mind and soul at peace and balance with the world.

Side Note: I’d really like to travel to India some day soon and speak to a Yogi over there about traditional yoga.