Page 79 - Dash Inspirations by Linda Ellis

Forgive...and Forget?
I have heard many inspirational speakers and random professionals talking about how we need to learn from life’s lessons, even the unpleasant ones. In the same breath, they recommend that we leave the past behind us and move on. I started thinking, how is it possible to do both? If we do manage to forget, and thus leave behind an unpleasant incident from which we’ve learned a lesson, aren’t we leaving the valued lesson behind as well? How can we move on with our newly learned lesson in mind while simultan- eously forgetting the entire incident from which it was acquired? I’ve found that the secret is not to attempt to forget the entire incident but to separate it and take only the good parts with you. Take the lesson.
Leave the details of the pain. I fell down the stairs last year on Christmas Eve. Now every time I descend the staircase, I hold the handrail securely. I don’t dwell upon the memory of the broken ankle and relive the entire experience - I hold the handrail. I took the lesson forward and left the negative details behind.
We can do the same with forgiveness. We can forgive and then forget the negative aspects of an unpleasant incident, while holding onto the lesson and bringing it with us as we continue our journey. We can let go of the fault. We can let go of the regret. We can let go of the blame. And we can hold onto the lesson.
Dash Inspirations by Linda Ellis www.LindaEllis.life
79