Forgiveness makes learning and growing possible.

I learn from my mistakes. When I do not forgive myself for making mistakes, then I find learning very difficult and painful. The truth is that I make mistakes. If I try to not make mistakes, I often find my efforts just result in disappointment. By putting my focus on not making mistakes, my attention is distracted from the task that I am learning. By accepting that I make mistakes, I can manage many of the risks of what I do. For example I would not pretend that I could drive in fast traffic until I had mastered driving in less difficult conditions. I could also forgive others for making mistakes, allowing them to learn from their experience and maintaining my friendship with them. When I am less forgiving I lose friendship, and I do not grow.