Apologies

When we are wronged do we expect or demand an apology? When we are wrong toward another person do we freely apologize? Is this equation equal in our life? Do I give what I expect?

I doubt that very much. It is human to err and worse, not even realize our failure. Yet the opposite is quite different. We know when we are wronged. We feel it. It is apparent.

Knowing oneself well is a big challenge. Examining the self is time consuming and rarely follows a straight-line logic. It meanders as we face the challenges of reality. Discovering the small hollows in our psyche and coming to understand them take time.

If we need this time what can we possibly expect from others? They, too, need time to understand themselves and the world they inhabit. How could they possible know they have wronged me? At any given time?

With that as background this quote from Robert Brault makes sense:

            “Life becomes easier when you learn to accept an apology you never got.”

Pretty good, huh? It is not exactly like letting water roll off your back, it embraces much more; I think it means we allow others to make their errors as though they are unintended just as we make the same mistakes. Somehow that frees my spirit to be more positive, less dragged down by others. This liberty empowers me to keep my journey moving undeterred by others.

It is easy to be pulled off track. It takes work to gain the discipline in seeking higher ground. It is also known as forgiveness.

Lest we forget, the reward benefits the forgiver, not the forgiven. We usually get that wrong. Forgiving is an act of trust in self and mankind. It provides liberty to be all that I can be.

Opening the door to that realization may lead to a life with fewer regrets. Maybe even fewer resentments?

I’ll have to think about this more. What do you think of this idea? Is it a stumbling block to our happiness or a door ajar for our discovery?

February 22, 2013