Forgiveness is not the misguided act of condoning irresponsible, hurtful behavior. Nor is it a superficial turning of the other cheek that leaves us feeling victimized and martyred. Rather, it is the finishing of old business that allows us to experience the present, free of contamination from the past.

Learning to be aware of feelings, how they arise and how to use them creatively so they guide us to happiness, is an essential lifetime skill.

Everyday brings a choice: to practice stress or to practice peace.

May I be at peace. May I awaken to the light of my own true nature. May I be healed and may I be the source of healing for others.

Learning to listen to ourselves is a way of learning to love ourselves.

Forgiveness entails the authentic acceptance of our own worthiness as human beings, the understanding that mistakes are opportunities for growth, awareness and the cultivation of compassion, and the realization that the extension of love to ourselves and others is the glue that holds the universe together. Forgiveness...is not a set of behaviors, but an attitude.

Have we arrived at our own faith and our own path or simply internalized the beliefs of parents, clergy, spouse, or friends?