I say it often in my office with clients. And, I know I have written it before. But, some words of wisdom don’t really need to change much to continue to hold the power they do for us. We all do the very best we know how in any given moment of our lives. If we had known better, we would have chosen better. Even when we are really making a mistake or hurting ourselves or others, we are doing the very best we know how in that given moment.*
Just as the late and amazing light Maya Angelou wrote, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
This is where we can find our power in forgiving ourselves and others.
This is where we can find our power in truly learning, improving and changing.
This is where we can find our power in trusting our stories, every single part of them.
Letting Go of Regret and Resentment
For me, this is how I’ve let go of regret and resentment. This does not mean I haven’t made many mistakes in my life, it simply means I refuse to be defined by them. Letting go of regret and resentment also does not mean I haven’t learned many, many lessons from these mistakes.
Just as both LeBron James and Dan Gilbert are needing to forgive one another and themselves for how things have played out over the last four years. We do the best we know how in that given moment; learning to forgive ourselves and others, letting go and learning to never define ourselves and our relationships in our regrets and resentments is how we wash away our shame, guilt and embarrassment.
It is how we move forward to even more amazing times.
For me, this work and my faith help in this letting go of regrets because I know and trust His way.
Learning to Forgive
Learning to forgive and to let go takes power away from regret. I believe, many times, our regrets only fester into resentments. And, resentments, well, they eat us from the inside out; stealing our light, shaming our spirit and suffocating our stories.
We must forgive. We must accept and embrace. And, we must own every part of our stories. These are choices, I think, we must make to save ourselves and to change our lives, to be happier and healthier versions of ourselves.
These are the choices, the practices and the work of recovery, of life.
Hopefully, these are the choices that LeBron and Dan can make. The choice to forgive and move forward. The choice to acknowledge that the scars may never go away. But, by practicing the work of forgiveness and letting go they can truly get another chance together.
It is only through this ever upward work and recovery that any of us can trust in ourselves and our stories and truly forgive ourselves and others through to no regret.
If you found this post enjoyable, inspiring, helpful, hopeful, interesting or even infuriating ;), please take the time and the chance to share it through your social media! More shares means more eyes, means more people helped and the message heard on a wider scale. Thank you! Justine
*Outside of the extreme case of a sociopath of course.*