“To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.”
― Robert Muller
How We Define Forgiveness
/ˌfərˈɡivnəs/
Noun
The act of forgiving, a conscious letting go of past anger or resentment
Forgiveness is granting pardon or release of past anger, hurt and resentment. To forgive is to free yourself from the pain of the past and to open yourself up to the joy and love available in the present moment. When we forgive, we not only give the person we are forgiving a pardon, but we give ourselves a pardon by letting go and no longer carrying the negative emotions within us.
Why We Value Forgiveness in Education
We believe forgiveness education is just as important as math, science, and literature. We are all imperfect humans who make mistakes. It is highly unlikely that anyone will make it through life without being hurt at some point.
Forgiveness is a necessary part of the healing process whether or not we choose to allow a person back into our lives. If we can begin teaching children the virtue of forgiveness at a young age, it can help reduce anger, build resilience, and increase empathy and compassion for self and others.
“To let go does not mean to get rid of. To let go means to let be. When we let be with compassion, things come and go on their own.”
― Jack Kornfield
How We Define Letting Go
Verb
Relaxing or releasing one’s hold or grip
Letting go can mean many different things. We define it as a process of freeing yourself from that which binds you. Letting go is a practice of non-attachment. We not only let go of past anger and hurt, but we also let go of our attachments. These attachments can be people, places, possessions, beliefs, constructs, and even ideas about the way things are supposed to be. While letting go is a willful act, it involves an element of surrender as we let go of control and learn to trust in the flow of life.
Why We Value Letting Go in Education
As educators, we have to let go of the desired outcome for our students. We recognize that each student is on his own journey. While we can help guide him down a certain path, we can’t make him walk it. As much as we want every student to succeed, this may not always be the case. Furthermore, the way success looks for one student may look completely different for another. As educators, when we can “let go and let flow”, we may find that the process surprises us and so do our students. We must let go of our own attachments of how the learning will take place and what the outcome will be and just surrender to the journey as it unfolds.
