When is a good time to practice forgiveness?

Earlier today, I drove to my wife’s work to take her out to lunch.  While on my way, I kept having cars driving way below the speedlimit and keeping me from passing them.  There was a 3-lane road with 3 vehicles driving approximately the same speed all lined up side-to-side.  I didn’t pay much attention to it.  Then, on the way back home more cars were driving even slower.  I was now starting to get a little frustrated.  Just when that happened, I got behind 4 bikers riding no more than 10 MPH.  I safely changed lanes and then a tractor was in my lane going even slower.  I still hadn’t done anything to address this growing frustration.  Still on the way home, I was on one of the interstate highways when everyone was slowing down abruptly for some reason I could not see.  When I got there, I saw a person talking on the cell phone and obviously not paying attention to the fact she was driving 20 MPH below the posted speed limits.   This was starting to bother me more and more.  Believeit or not, this happend a few more times before I got home.

When I got home I realized that I could have avoided the frustration by practicing forgiveness.  So to answer the question, “When is a good time to practice forgiveness?, practice it while you are in the car.  Anytime something frustrates you at all, do what I typically do (except for today) by practicing forgiveness.

Here is what I “normally” do when I am in my car.  If someone cuts in front of me or acts like an idiot or something and it gets me even slightly frustrated, I say the following: “I forgive you for ______ and I forgive my self for having to forgive you.  Thank you.”  In the case where someone cuts in front of me, it might sound something like this: “I forgive you for cutting in front of me and I forgive myself for having to forgive you for doing it.  Thank you.”  I have done this for years but every now and then I have a brain freeze and forget to do it.  When you make practicing forgiveness a part of your routine, I promise, you will feel much better about the commute and yourself.

Peace, gratitude, and forgiveness,

Bill