WHY IS 'FORGIVENESS' A KEY QUALITY OF CHARACTER?

I have the privilege of starting a new role as a CDM mentor for youth working with the Travis Manion Foundation (TMF).?Their goal with this program is to “strengthen America’s national character” beginning with the youth. TMF believes everyone possesses a unique combination of strengths, values, and passions. These make us who we are. To become the best versions of ourselves we must:

·??????Look Inward – Identify our personal character strengths

·??????Look Outward – Use our strengths to serve others

The fifth (alphabetical order) characteristic of 24 defined by TMF is “Forgiveness”.

People with forgiveness as a top strength are inclined to give others a second chance or to seek understanding, instead of blaming those who have done them wrong. Forgiveness makes people seek compassion or mercy instead of revenge or hatred. However, people who are inclined to forgive don’t necessarily condone or forget offenses. Instead they use their strength to shield themselves from the negative emotion of hatred while maintaining a positive future outlook.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself or someone you may be mentoring now to awaken Forgiveness:

+ Has there been a time where you have struggled with forgiving someone? Why?

+ Why can it be difficult to forgive? Is it easier to hold a grudge?

+ What are other strengths that you need to utilize to help with forgiveness?

+ Can forgiveness heal relationships? Why?

An ask: as I will be presenting these same concepts to groups of teens and young adults, I would love to hear your thoughts and anecdotes to enrich the content. Feel free to comment in this post or send me a note on messenger or at [email protected]

Thanks, and I hope you find this of value!