"We are what we do repeatedly. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."

~~Aristotle, Greek critic, philosopher, physicist, & zoologist (384 BC - 322 BC)

I have this quotation as part of my email signature. It's a reminder to me that one's whole life speaks loudly and that a few small errors or weaknesses do not besmirch the excellent whole.

We heard a sermon a few weeks ago on "Forgiveness". One of the points made was that asking forgiveness opens a dialogue between people, while on the other hand, saying 'I'm sorry' means the person making the mistake defines the situation and requires forgiveness from the other. Very one-sided control.

The other major topic was that of forgiving ourselves. We try to live up to our beliefs in our practices, but many times we fail, because that's the way life is. We start again, trying to do better the next time. Forgive yourself and remember that the excellence of your life is in its whole arc, not just in the occasional things you did wrong.

It's also in what you do repeatedly. Excellence isn't a flash-in-the-pan, but a steady, ongoing effort.

Just thinking about things today.