SELF-FORGIVENESS, Julie Bondanza

That I feed the hungry, that I forgive an insult, that I love my enemy  . . . these are undoubtedly great virtues . . . but what if I should discover that the poorest of beggars and the most impudent of offenders are all within me, and that I stand in need of my own kindness; that I myself am the enemy who must be loved?  What then?  

-C.G. Jung

While it is extremely difficult to do, it is fundamentally important that we learn to accept and forgive ourselves. Guilt and shame, both debilitating emotions, suggest that something is amiss and that further exploration is necessary.  

Following on Friday’s program on Self Betrayal, we will explore the mechanisms at work when self-forgiveness is needed and some ways of moving toward acceptance of responsibility, toward the release of guilt, shame and remorse, and ultimately to self-forgiveness.