Midlife Mastery Journal

As we strive to clean up the wreckage left behind by our choices and behaviors, we find that the flip side of apology is forgiveness. When we see ourselves as the wronged party we have a fundamental option: forgiveness or vengeance. Which one we choose reflects on our own beliefs about who we are. Which of our beliefs need adjustment?

In this last installment of five articles focusing on reconciliation and forgiveness, Les discusses the role that asking for forgiveness plays in completing the process that turns a failure (no matter how grave) into a successful growth experience, leading to a deep sense of strength and peace on an intellectual, emotional and (most importantly) a spiritual plane.

The fourth article in this series of “Cleaning Up Your Wreckage” takes on the deepest levels of pain that we experience from messing up. It’s a pain beyond the embarrassment, guilt and even shame of experiencing our fallibility. It comes from recognizing that, from now on, we have to see and to do things differently.

In our journey to examine how to clean up the wreckage left behind by the poor choices we have made in life, we come to a turning point. We’ve acknowledged that we’ve done wrong and we’ve expressed our sorrow for it. Now comes the hard part: what are you going to do about it?In our journey to examine how to clean up the wreckage left behind by the poor choices we have made in life, we come to a turning point. We’ve acknowledged that we’ve done wrong and we’ve expressed our sorrow for it. Now comes the hard part: what are you going to do about it?

Everybody makes a mess from time to time. It’s the price we pay for growth and progress. If we’re wise, we learn from our mistakes; if not, we can wind up paying for them over and over again. In this first of five articles, Les Brown looks at how guilt can become a positive experience.