Thursday, September 25, 2014

Momentary Lapse?

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

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