Change Starts Here
I started this self-esteem blog to make women of color feel better about themselves. Too many of us settle for less because we don't think we can have it all. I hope these blog posts will help you realize you can have it all and so much more.
If you have any topics you think would be beneficial or questions, press the "ask" button above or e-mail confidencehappens@gmail.com.
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It took me a long time to come to this conclusion, but I think forgiveness is the most powerful emotion in the world. Without it, there would be no room for love to grow.I’ve learned this not only through experience but also through watching other people. I don’t know anyone who’s truly capable of love that has a grudge against someone else.
As a minority woman, we have to forgive people for all sorts of things. We have to forgive them, and ourselves, for using the term “Colored People Time” or CPT. We forgive them for thinking all minorities are the same and for homogenizing our race. We have to forgive them for not understanding that these things upset us.
As we saw over the past few weeks, we should also forgive people for thinking it’s OK to burn religious texts and speak disrespectfully about someone else’s beliefs.
If we don’t forgive people, even ones we don’t know, like the pastor who planned to burn Qu’rans today, for things that make us angry our emotions can turn to hate. Even a little hate in your heart can stop you from living a full life. It can also stop you from helping people who live with hate in their hearts.
I don’t really like to put really personal aspects of my life in this blog, but I feel so passionate about this topic because I’ve been there. My biological father was never a constant part of my life and the anger I felt toward him turned to hate. Once I forgave him, I was able to make room in my heart for people close to me because there was no more hate. Not only is my life better; I feel better and happier.
Before today is over, my fondest wish is that you don’t live with the same hate people all over the country feel about Sept. 11. It was horrible day and it changed so many lives in a bad way, but think it’s best to remember forgiveness on this day, in particular. If we don’t, we miss the chance to remember the people who died and the people who risked their lives on that day.
At the risk of sounding even more cliché than I have already, I want to end this post with a quote from the film “Tale of Despereaux” that I think will give you something to think about:
“A single act of forgiveness can change everything.”
In addition to the acts of forgiveness I wrote about in the post, I will also forgive Us Weekly for writing an article in the issue pictured above about how actresses like Elizabeth Hurley, Amanda Seyfried, Kristin Bauer and Jullianne Moore starve themselves to stay skinny without any mention of how wrong it is or how harmful it can be to your health. I hope the magazine realizes what a big impression they can have on young women and will do better in the future. I would like to thank my best friend, Kat, for bringing this article to my attention.
The title for this post is from “The Heart of the Matter” by India.Arie (original version by Don Henley).
