“When you give others grace, you give yourself grace too; what a gift to both of you.” 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 to everything in between…you are imperfect.
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 unintentioned, 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 hurts you cause.
When others are soaring, cheer them on 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 cause 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.
