Forgiveness

We all screw up. Well, maybe not you, but the rest of us sure aren’t perfect.

It’s called being human.

The problem is that we also get very judgmental and unforgiving. So this creates general internal stress, exacerbated by lack of sleep and other things going on in our lives.

And social media has magnified this, because it gives us the ability to air our complaints to complete strangers without any reflection first. Just check what your feed looks like on Facebook or Twitter or Nextdoor.

The key is taking time to reflect.

But how do you know when to do that? Well, it comes down to developing your sensitivity to your own emotional state. Kind of like what you taught your kids to do: “count to ten.”

For example, I saw a Facebook post yesterday which really triggered me. Internally, my first response was “you idiot!” Fortunately, I did NOT touch the keyboard at that point, but instead thought about what was going on. I realized that there was nothing constructive I could say at that point, and in fact there was a good chance that I was wrong in my judgment.

That simple act of reflection calmed me down, and kept me from embarrassing myself in a forum where everything lives forever.

The key was to pay attention to my emotional response. I forgave the other person, and was able to forgive myself as well.

What tends to be your worst triggers?