We all make mistakes.
In a moment of not thinking, we can do the most awful
things. Before we realize it, we allow our emotions to trump our better
judgment and cause us to strike out at a loved one or cause physical pain in
the discipline of a child. If we truly just make a mistake, we will take the
necessary steps to repair the damage done.
It’s when we try to cover our mistakes with excuses that we
tell the world the mistake was not a one-time lapse in judgment, but a pattern
of our real behavior. The more we protest the consequences of our actions, the
more obvious it becomes that a conscious decision was made to harm another or
to discipline way too harshly.
Sound familiar? Football players protesting the consequences
of their lousy choices.
The Manners of the Heart® program teaches that if you are
seeking to be your best rather than ‘number one’, you will rectify your
mistakes, not cover them up. You will admit you were wrong and are in need of help.
You will go to the end of your means to seek forgiveness and make restitution. In
contrast, those who are trying to be ‘number one’ will go to any lengths to get
there, making poor choices as they go.
Once again, I’ll use the latest sports’ stories as examples
of what happens when you attempt to cover up your mistakes or make excuses or
blame someone else—everyone suffers, especially the innocent.
From my heart to yours,
Jill
