If we don't forgive ourselves for our mistakes, and others for the wounds they have inflicted upon us, we end up crippled with guilt. And the soul cannot grow under a blanket of guilt, because guilt is isolating, while growth is a gradual process of reconnection to ourselves, to other people, and to a larger whole.
Joan Z. BorysenkoHave we arrived at our own faith and our own path or simply internalized the beliefs of parents, clergy, spouse, or friends?
Joan Z. BorysenkoThe stereotype of aging as a progressive loss of function is generally true only for people who stop functioning.
Joan Z. BorysenkoForgiveness ... is the finishing of old business that allows us to experience the present, free of contamination from the past.
Joan Z. BorysenkoForgiveness 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.
Joan Z. Borysenko