Forgiving doesn't mean forgetting. No! Forgiving means understanding that others including yourself have made choices in the past that have left a negative impact but those impacts will no longer shape the trajectory of your life. I'll never forget some of the things that were done to me in the past. I will never forget how others treated me. But understanding that those actions won't affect what I do and how I live my life is the priority. I forgive but I don't forget.
We often come across people who for whatever reason make choices that hurt our heart. The key is to understand that their actions are theirs. How you deal is yours. So, listening to Joel Osteen and recognizing the importance of not living with shame, regret and guilt but rather shaking off those feelings and emotions and giving it to God really hit me. I don't want to live with those feelings. I want to live everyday knowing that I can be great. I want to live everyday knowing that the possibility of doing better and being better is mine for the taking. I want to live knowing that the mistakes I've made don't define me but rather teach me. I want to live knowing that the choices that others have made should be a life lesson not a life sentence. I want to live knowing that I'm awesome and I'm loved.
I guess the next step is to Tivo Joel again. Sometimes these Sunday's when there's "nothing" on television to watch actually enlightens you. God Bless ya...