Don't you wish it was just as simple as that? You make a mistake in life and reach for a giant eraser hahahaha Anyone who's lived longer than a nanosecond knows its not that easy, but man it would sure be great sometimes! Have you ever made a mistake, or a wrong choice that's left you feeling like you wish you could go back in time and make a different one? For instance "man, I wish I hadn"t yelled at my son for slamming the door in my face, especially once he explained he was frustrated about a bad day at school " or "Ouch! I wish I hadn't eaten all that ice cream since I'm lactose intolerant!" or "Dude .. . . where's my car?" hahaha!
My point being, we all wish we could have a giant eraser sometimes to erase any trace of mistakes. But the reality is we can't. Every action has a consequence, whether it be good or bad, and life demands that we live with those consequences of our actions. There IS no giant eraser.
That being said, we don"t have to go through life in misery and regret either, that was never the way we were meant to live. So what's a body to do then? It's so unbelievably simple that alot of us overlook it:
Forgiveness.
That's right, the giant "eraser" for life was right there in our hearts all along! Whether it's asking someone to forgive us, or forgiving someone for wrong done to us, or (and here's a doozie) forgiving OURSELVES for hurting someone or making a bad decision that hurt our own self. That's the key to "erasing"the mistakes. No' it doesnt UNDO the action or cirumstance ( you would need a time machine for that, haha) but it does CHANGE it - because forgiveness changes HEARTS. If you are the one who has wronged someone, and you sincerely ask for their forgiveness then your heart is changed in a way that allows you to let go of that guilt and move on,. Whether that person chooses to fogive you is not for you to worry about, it's the sincerety in your heart that has changed you and having learned from that mistake you are free to make different, better decisions from that point on.
If you have been wronged by someone, even if they never ask you to forgive them for what they did, FORGIVE THEM ANYWAY. Why? Because forgiving someone else (or yourself) releases you to move on past the anger or hurt or betrayal, and enjoy your life rather than waste energy carrying a grudge in your heart - that burden gets heavier the longer you carry it! This is also important if you are begrudging yourself for a mistake you have made. Forgiving yourself is a hard one, but it's not impossible, and you will find that it's only once you have forgiven yourself that you finally have the strength in your heart again to make things right where you can. To let go where you need to, and to learn from an experience so that you won't keep repeating it over and over again.
No, we can't undo mistakes made in life easily like an eraser can erase pencil marks, but we have an incredibly powerful tool at our disposal, and that tool of forgiveness can do so much more than changing a mistake - it changes hearts. Changed hearts can change the world.
Giant Pink Forgiveness Erasers for everyone,
-J
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