A Change of Heart: Internal Narratives, Forgiveness & Health

A Graduate Master’s Thesis on Forgiveness by Dominican University Scholar Keiko Ehret In this thesis I investigate the interconnectedness of forgiveness as a narrative, as a philosophical, religious and cultural phenomenon, and the ways in which forgiveness is increasingly being used as a vehicle for improving health and psychological well-being. By threading together how scholars in a variety of fields have approached these areas of study, we can better…

READ MORE

Spirituality and Community Building

Can forgiveness be granted to those who have committed terrorist acts?  Can one forgive in the absence of apology or remorse? Can there be reconciliation following mass murder? These are some of the questions the Forgiveness and Reconciliation section of the Community Tool Box addresses. This resource has grown out of the work of The Forgiveness Project and has been developed with support from the Charter for Compassion and…

READ MORE

Forgiveness – The F Word: A Conversation with Louisa Hext

Interviewed by Riane Eisler, JD, PhD (hon) “To forgive is not just to be altruistic. It is the best form of self-interest.”-Rev. Desmond Tutu Riane Eisler: Louisa, your work represents an important initiative of The Forgiveness Project. What, in your own life, led you to this work? Louisa Hext: I have always been drawn to visual representations of people’s emotions and interactions, particularly through photography. I was involved in…

READ MORE

Listen to the Voice Inside

We have a poem on our classroom wall by Shel Silverstein, that reads: The VoiceThere is a voice inside of youThat whispers all day long,“I feel that this is right for me,I know that this is wrong.”No teacher, preacher, parent, friendOr wise man can decideWhat’s right for you-just listen toThe voice that speaks inside. It is our structural reminder to all coaches that it doesn’t matter how much expertise…

READ MORE

The Paradox of Success and Failure

On my younger son’s first day of school, he took it upon himself to share with his teacher that his mom’s favorite word had 4-letters and started with the letter F. His teacher was appalled. The moment I arrived to pick him up, she was in my face clearly articulating her disapproval of my parenting skills. I immediately felt like I was right back in grade school getting scolded.…

READ MORE

Standing Alone to Stand Among

The Paradox of Becoming and Belonging I fell in love with the song “Circle” by Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians the very first time I heard it. The song starts out, “Me, I’m a part of your circle of friends.” I’m sure those words accompanied by the catchy melody triggered some cheesy thought in my head such as, “Oh, I love songs about friends,” and then I didn’t…

READ MORE