“When you give others grace, you give yourself grace as well. Give the gift of grace to everyone you meet.” ~ Lisa Merlo-Booth
Being human means that you are riddled with imperfections—as is everyone around you. There is no way around being imperfect. From the:
- Thoughts you have,
- To the actions you take,
- To the words you use,
- To the silences you choose,
- And everything in between.
You will make mistakes. You will fall, and stand, and fall again, and stand again, a myriad of times throughout your life. Be kind to yourself when you fall. Be humble towards others when you soar. No one is getting out of this life without countless screwups—some unintentional, some purposeful, and some downright mean, yet all of them human.
Lean into the moments when you’re soaring because those are great moments. Learn to take those moments in with every fiber you have—do so with pride, humility, and grace. When you screw up, though, learn from, take responsibility for, and do your best to repair any mistakes you make or people you hurt.
Cheer others on when they are soaring and encourage them to soar even higher. Your job is to help others rise, so take in the joy as you watch them succeed. And when they falter, hold them accountable with grace, love, compassion, and healthy limits. Take in their repair moves with an open heart whenever possible, knowing that you, too, have made many mistakes yourself. Owning their mistakes and repairing the damage they caused takes tremendous strength and courage; meet that courage with the same amount of strength and courage it takes to forgive.
Challenge: When it comes to conflict, hurts, upsets, and mistakes, give others the same level of grace you would want them to give you. No one is getting out of this life without countless mistakes; learn to respond to those—by you and from others—with humility, forgiveness, and healthy, relational limits.