Archive for February 2015
I hope you’ve taken a look at the great responses right here on my blog. In case you’re curious, I’ve posted my opinion on forgivenessoptions.com.
Maybe you have some personal stories to add. They’d be great here, or on my web site. Please share.
Also, on my Facebook page I’ve asked what you think is important for me to include in my fifteen-minute opportunity on March 24. What would you most like folks to know about the healing power of forgiveness. Or maybe the pitfalls one may fall into in the process.
Thanks
In juggling lots of things, I don’t want to stray from the central importance of forgiveness. So I’m suggesting that you consider the following question I’ve raised on the “forgiveness” page of my web site. I picked up these two stories at different times on TV. The issue to ponder is which, if either, qualifies as a story of forgiveness.
First story:
When: The day after their sons were killed in an accident caused by a person driving under the influence.
What: Asked if they could ever forgive the driver, the answer was “We forgive him because our religion tells us to.”
Second story:
When: A few days after the school shooting in Connecticut in which their six-year-old daughter died.
What: Asked if they could ever forgive the shooter, the reply was, “Forgiveness hasn’t even entered our thoughts. We can’t take time to focus on the killer. We have to help ourselves and our other children grieve and try to keep on with our lives.”
I’d love to hear your thoughts here as a comment on this blog, or on my Facebook page, 4giveLetGrow, or as a comment on the “forgiveness” page of my web site.
I’ll post my take on it on my web site sometime during the next few days.
Last week I finished teaching a four-session course on forgiveness. When I do those courses/workshops I begin by telling folks I’m giving them free stuff that will save the money they might otherwise spend paying people like me. In other words, I offer the secrets of good therapy, the first of which is “The only person you can control is yourself.”
Often it seems that serendipity enriches my experience. This is one of those cases. Lately I’ve been reading 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in my Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing my Edge, and Found Self-Help that Actually Works – A true Story (Kindle Edition). I will write a review on amazon.com when I finish it – not that it will make much of a splash added to the 1313 reviews already posted. (Wow! Wouldn’t Dara love that!)
So, what did I gain? The perfect way of saying it – something he quotes on Kindle p. 210: “There’s no point in being unhappy about things you can’t change and no point in being unhappy about things you can.” I love it!
On another note, I also loved “Humility prevents humiliation” (p. 208).
What am I loving about the book? – So downright practical once one “gets” the meaning and practice of meditation, as he does. (Not that I think I’m particularly good at it.)
If I’ve read the numbers right, 990 free copies of Figs & Pomegranates & Special Cheeses were given away during the three days they were available. As was my wish, a goodly number went to countries outside the USA.
I hope readers are enjoying Dara and Job and their friends and family. It will be really nice if even a few of that number were to let me know how they feel about the book, through comments on amazon.com, or blogs, or whatever.
Yes, It’s been a while since I posted anything here. I’ve been busy doing a bunch of stuff: taking a course on copyediting, enjoying my daughter’s visit, working on My Father’s House, teaching a course on forgiveness, pulling income tax information together, and lots of other odds and ends.
But I never fail to keep track of my blogging friends. Thanks to all of you.
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