I forgive myself for never having learned to play a musical instrument, even though I love music (and math) so much. I forgive myself for never playing baseball. I forgive myself for being too insecure to ask out (so so many) different lovely ladies in my youth. I forgive myself for simply being insecure! I forgive myself for never winning a varsity swim race (not even one!) I forgive myself for getting older! I forgive my left hip and left knee for whatever their problems seem to be. I’m really working hard to forgive my sinuses for the misery they put me through despite multiple surgeries and drugs and neti pots and more. I forgive myself for not being able to get all the way to really forgiving my sinuses. I forgive myself for being a work in progress. I forgive myself for never having done this practice before!
I forgive myself (IFM) for the hundreds of dumb decisions I have made in managing our investments. I also forgive myself for not seeming to remember the many great decisions that I have made. IFM for never learning to code or speak Spanish (still not too late!) or publish the book on Practical democracy that I wrote many years ago. IFM for buying a ticket to a concert for last night and deciding at the last minute that I did not want to go and wasting the money and not even giving the dumb thing away. IFM for not having done woodworking in over a decade. IFM for waiting until now to begin the long process of converting the garage into a woodworking shop. I forgive give myself in advance for failing to follow through with setting up the shop and getting back into woodworking if that happens to be what happens.
IFM for never downhill skiing. IFM for the relationships that I want to improve but seem unable to, whether largely my fault or the others. IFM for not being a perfect father or a perfect husband or a perfect anything. Thankfully at least my mind knows that perfect does not exist, even if my gut and heart seem unable to come to this realization. IFM for not being able to predict the future.
IFM for seemingly going one step forward then three steps backwards daily as of late in terms of feeling a genuine sense of purpose and understanding myself, my identity, and ego. IFM for the times that I am depressed or anxious or sick or all of three together simultaneously. IFM for dragging so many possessions around the country and even world before realizing that I would actually be happier without them!
IFM for sucking at meditating and not being able to stop biting my nails. I forgive the top of my head from deciding that we don’t need so much hair up there anymore. IFM for being such a poor speller. I forgive myself; well, I just forgive myself.
I give myself a blank IFM to be filled in later. I know that I will need it, probably before I go to bed tonight. IFM for having to forgive myself repeatedly for the same thing so often. Last, I pray that you will spend the next few minutes forgiving yourself for at least a few things 😊.