I think about times in my life when I’ve made mistakes. I review the options that are in front of me and I think about the implications.  How can I make those who were affected by my mistake feel better about themselves and/or about the issue?  How can I make right what I initially messed up?  How do I regain the trust of those involved?

This is not an easy thing to do.  Who wants people to know that one has made an error?  However, asking for forgiveness and owning up to the misinterpretation is far less stressful than the alternative.

If addressed, there is the potential for forgiveness. Forgiveness from those involved and forgiveness toward oneself.  Mistakes left to linger on make life very complicated.  What might have been over in minutes or days, is carried on for months or years.  Stress builds and productivity falls.  Time and energy are wasted. 

I give my worries to God and pray for opportunities to seek forgiveness, rebuild the trust I have lost, and apologize for any wrongdoing.  When I am able to admit my wrongdoing, apologize, and ask for forgiveness, it frees my mind to move on with life.

It may seem difficult at the time, but after I feel a sense of peace within my body.  My mind becomes free from the stress of agonizing over the mistake. Even if I am not forgiven by the people involved, my stress has been relieved which in turn helps me live a more productive life.

My children will confirm that I make mistakes frequently and I ask for forgiveness often.  I want them to understand the importance of forgiveness and the gift of giving grace. 

My kids are inevitably going to continue to make mistakes just as I continue to make mistakes.  It’s important for them to learn to forgive others and themselves.  Owning up to the mistake and then allowing themselves to move on.

There are those times that I know I made an error and quickly resolved the issue.  There are other times when my mind tries to say that I didn’t do anything wrong, but my stomach tells a different story.

I may have done several things right, but didn’t do all that I could to prevent or assist the issue at hand.  I may not have exhausted all the possibilities but rather checked some boxes. 

I know that if my stomach turns while I am thinking about the issue, I better explore more alternatives and work on some solutions.  I might think in my head that I didn’t do anything wrong, but I could have done more.

I start with an apology and pray for an opportunity to regain trust.  If I’m on course, my stomach eases and my body feels at peace and stress-free.  I pray for the opportunity to right my wrongs and ask for forgiveness.  I tell myself not to dig myself deeper.

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